Two soldiers martyred, 16 terrorists killed in North Waziristan operations: ISPR

Security forces killed 16 terrorists, including two Afghan nationals, while two soldiers were martyred during intelligence-based operations in North Waziristan district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa over the past 12 hours, the military’s media wing said on Saturday.

According to a statement issued by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the operations were conducted in the areas of Mir Ali, Datta Khel and surrounding localities.

The statement said 12 terrorists, including two Afghan nationals, were killed during an exchange of fire in Ali Khel, while two terrorists each were killed in Mir Ali and Datta Khel.

The ISPR identified the terrorists as members of Indian-sponsored Fitna-al-Khwarij.

However, two security personnel also lost their lives during the engagements. They were identified as Havildar Asmat Ali, 43, a resident of Swabi district, and Naik Aftab Ali, 32, from Mardan district.

The military’s media wing said weapons and ammunition were recovered from the terrorists, who were allegedly involved in several terrorist activities, including attacks on civilians.

Sanitisation operations were underway to eliminate any remaining terrorists in the area, the statement added.

It said security forces and law enforcement agencies would continue counterterrorism operations under the government’s vision of Azm-e-Istehkam to eliminate what it described as foreign-sponsored terrorism from the country.

President, PM pay tribute to security personnel

Separately, President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif praised security forces for killing 16 terrorists during the operations in North Waziristan.

In a statement issued by the President’s Media Wing, Zardari commended the security forces for the operation and paid tribute to Havildar Asmat Ali and Naik Aftab Ali, who were killed during the engagements.

“The nation salutes its brave soldiers and that their sacrifices would always be remembered,” he said.

The president expressed condolences and solidarity with the families of the two personnel, reiterating that operations under Azm-e-Istehkam would continue until the elimination of terrorism.

In a separate statement, the Prime Minister’s Office said Shehbaz praised the professionalism, courage and timely response of security forces during the intelligence-based operations in Mir Ali, Datta Khel and surrounding areas.

He also paid tribute to the two personnel who lost their lives in the line of duty and extended condolences to their families.

The prime minister said the sacrifices of security personnel strengthened the national resolve to eliminate terrorism and reaffirmed that operations would continue until the menace was completely eradicated.

He added that the nation and all law enforcement agencies stood alongside security forces in their efforts to restore peace and stability under the Azm-e-Istehkam framework.