ISLAMABAD: A Pakistani army officer was killed during an intelligence-based operation in northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, the military said on Thursday, as security forces stepped up actions against what they described as “Indian-backed terrorists.”
According to a statement from Pakistan military media wing, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the operation was conducted on October 8 in the Daraban area of Dera Ismail Khan district after reports of the presence of terrorists belonging to Fitna al-Khawarij, a group the army accuses of receiving foreign support.
Seven terrorists were killed in the ensuing exchange of fire, while Major Sibtain Haider, 30, from Quetta, was martyred “while leading his troops from the front,” the military said. Weapons and ammunition were recovered from the site.
The latest clash came a day after 11 soldiers, including two officers, were martyred in a similar operation in Orakzai district targeting the same network. The military said 19 militants were “neutralized” in that engagement.
Pakistan has repeatedly urged Afghanistan’s Taliban administration to prevent cross-border attacks by the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), claiming that militant sanctuaries on Afghan soil threaten regional stability. Despite an extensive border fence, officials say the rugged terrain still allows infiltration by armed groups.
The army vowed to continue operations until the country is “rid of Indian-sponsored terrorism,” adding that the sacrifices of its personnel “further strengthen national resolve against militancy.”
