At least 11 military personnel, including a Lt Colonel and a Major, were killed in clashes with the Taliban militants during an intelligence-based operation in Pakistan’s restive Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, bordering Afghanistan, the army said on Wednesday.
In a statement, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) - the media wing of the military — said that 19 terrorists of the ‘Fitna al-Khawarij’ were also killed during the operation in Orakzai district on Tuesday night.
The Pakistan Government last year notified the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) as “Fitna al-Khawarij”, a reference to a group in earlier Islamic history which was involved in violence.
The intelligence-based operation was conducted by the security forces on the reported presence of terrorists belonging to “Fitna al-Khawarij” on the intervening night of October 7-8, the ISPR statement said. During the “intense” exchange of fire between security forces and the militants, 19 terrorists “were sent to hell”, the statement said. It said that 39-year-old Lt Col Junaid Tariq, who was leading his troops from the front, and his second-in-command, 33-year-old Major Tayyab Rahat, were killed along with nine of their men.
A sanitisation operation is being conducted to eliminate any other terrorists in the area, the statement added. In a statement, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed grief over the killing of the soldiers, saying the sacrifices of the fearless sons of the security forces will never go in vain.
Sharif said Pakistan will crush the nefarious intentions of terrorists. “We will not allow elements that harm Pakistan’s integrity to succeed,” he added.
He said the Government was determined to eradicate the menace of terrorism from the country. President Asif Ali Zardari paid tributes to the “courageous action of security forces in the Orakzai district”. Zardari expressed heartfelt sympathy with the families of the soldiers, praying that they bear their loss with patience and courage, a statement issued by the presidency said.
“The entire nation stands as a lead wall with its armed forces,” the statement quoted him as saying. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur expressed heartfelt condolences and sympathy with the families of the deceased soldiers.
“The security forces have written an immortal chapter of bravery and sacrifice in the fight for peace,” he added. “The sacrifices of our soldiers will not go in vain.”
“These sacrifices further strengthen the nation’s resolve to eradicate terrorism,” Gandapur affirmed.
Pakistan has seen a surge in militant attacks, particularly in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan provinces, after the banned TTP called off its ceasefire with the Government in November 2022 and vowed to target security forces, police, and law enforcement agencies.
According to the latest statistics issued by the Centre for Research and Security Studies (CRSS), Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was the worst-hit region in the country in the third quarter of 2025. It suffered nearly 71 per cent (638) of the total violence-linked fatalities, and over 67 per cent (221) of the incidents of violence.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan - both of which share a porous border with neighbouring Afghanistan - faced the brunt of the terrorism incidents, accounting for more than 96 per cent of the total violence across the country.
Chances of war with India are real, warns Pakistan’s defence minister
Islamabad: Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has warned that “chances of war with India are real” and claimed that his country would achieve even bigger success in the case of any armed conflict in future. Asif made the remarks in an interview with Samaa TV on Tuesday, where the anchor asked him about the recent statements by the Indian political and military leaders. The minister said that there was a threat of armed confrontation and Pakistan was keeping its guard and watching the situation.
“Chances of war with India are real,” Asif said in response to a question.
He added that Pakistan would likely achieve more favourable results in the event of a war with India.
“I do not want escalation, but the risks are real, and I am not denying that. If it comes to war, God willing, we will achieve a better result than before,” Asif said. He said that Pakistan has more supporters and allies than it had six months ago, while claiming that India had even lost the support of the countries which were on its side before the May conflict.
However, he refrained from naming any country in the category.
Asif also claimed that India was never a united nation, except briefly under Mughal emperor Aurangzeb, and that Pakistan was created in the name of Allah and stood united during the May confrontation despite several internal issues.
“At home, we argue and compete. In a fight with India, we come together,” he said. His remarks come just days after he made similar threats following statements from Indian Army chief Gen Upendra Dwivedi, who warned Pakistan to stop backing state-sponsored terrorism if it wants to exist on the world map. Separately, Air Chief Marshal A P Singh on Friday said at least a dozen Pakistani military aircraft, including US-origin F-16 jets, were destroyed or damaged in Indian strikes during Operation Sindoor.
