Major among three soldiers martyred in KP shootouts

RAWALPINDI: At least three soldiers, including a major, were martyred during different exchanges of fire with terrorists in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), said the military’s media on Friday.

The army major and another soldier were martyred during an intelligence-based operation conducted by the security forces in North Waziristan District’s Miran Shah’s general area.

The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said when the security forces launched the operation a “party of terrorists was spotted and intercepted by Major Amir, who was leading the operation from the front”.

During the exchange of fire, one terrorist was killed while another was injured.

However, 29-year-old Major Amir Aziz and 27-year-old Sepoy Muhammad Arif were martyred during the heavy exchange of fire.

The military’s media wing said that the sanitization of the area is being carried out to eliminate the terrorists present in the area.

“Security forces of Pakistan are determined to eliminate the menace of terrorism and such sacrifices of our soldiers further strengthen our resolve,” the ISPR said.

The report of Major Aziz and Sepoy Arif’s martyrdom came minutes after the ISPR had shared that a soldier was martyred while a terrorist was killed during an exchange of fire in the Khyber district.

The ISPR said that on the night between August 31 and September 1, a fire exchange took place between the army troops and the terrorists in the general area of Tirah in Khyber District.

The troops “effectively” engaged at the terrorists’ location, resulting in the killing of one terrorist, the ISPR said.

“The killed terrorist remained actively involved in numerous terrorist activities against security forces and killing of innocent civilians.”

During the intense exchange of fire, Havildar Muntazir Shah, 36, having fought gallantly, embraced martyrdom.

Earlier today, Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Asim Munir vowed that the nation cannot be “coerced” by “cowardly tactics of the terrorists” who hold the “misbelief that they can challenge the iron resolve of the soldiers and writ of the state”.

As per the military’s media wing, the army chief passed the remarks while visiting Bannu in KP where, a day earlier, nine soldiers were martyred when a suicide bomber exploded himself near a military convoy in the Jani Khel area.

“The army, law enforcement agencies and the nation can never be coerced by the cowardly tactics of the terrorists, who have a misbelief that they can challenge the iron resolve of the soldiers and writ of the state,” Gen Munir said while interacting with officers and troops deployed in the area.

The COAS further said that the nation has “fought for long and will continue to fight the menace of terrorism till the end”.

“The nation pays rich tribute to those who have laid their lives and their sacrifices will forever be honoured,” he added.