Security forces conducted an intelligence-based operation in Orakzai District on the night of October 7 and 8, targeting the reported presence of terrorists belonging to Fitna al-Khwarij, an Indian proxy network operating inside Pakistan. The operation led to the elimination of nineteen Indian-sponsored militants following intense engagement by the troops.
During the fierce exchange of fire, Lieutenant Colonel Junaid Arif, aged 39 and a resident of District Rawalpindi, and Major Tayyab Rahat, aged 33 and also from Rawalpindi, embraced shahadat while gallantly leading their men from the front. Nine other valiant soldiers also laid down their lives in the line of duty, bringing the total number of martyrs to eleven.
The soldiers who embraced martyrdom include Naib Subedar Azam Gul (38, District Khyber), Naik Adil Hussain (35, District Kurram), Naik Gul Ameer (34, District Tank), Lance Naik Sher Khan (31, District Mardan), Lance Naik Talish Faraz (32, District Mansehra), Lance Naik Irshad Hussain (32, District Kurram), Sepoy Tufail Khan (28, District Malakand), Sepoy Aqib Ali (23, District Swabi), and Sepoy Muhammad Zahid (24, District Tank).
According to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), a sanitization operation is currently under way to eliminate any remaining Indian-sponsored terrorists hiding in the area. The ISPR reaffirmed that Pakistan’s security forces remain resolute in their determination to root out the menace of Indian-backed terrorism from the country.
“The supreme sacrifices of our brave officers and soldiers further strengthen our resolve to ensure lasting peace and stability in the homeland,” the ISPR stated.
