- Weapons, ammunition recovered from killed terrorists: ISPR.
- Martyred soldiers fought gallantly during KP operations: ISPR.
- Military vows to pursue relentless counterterrorism campaign.
Two Pakistan Army soldiers were martyred, and at least 16 India-backed terrorists were killed in a series of intelligence-based operations (IBOs) in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said on Saturday.
In a statement, the military’s media wing said that multiple Fitna al-Khawarij locations were engaged in Mir Ali, Datta Khel and surrounding areas in North Waziristan district as part of the ongoing IBOs.
“Following fierce fire exchanges, in the last 12 hours, 12 Khawarij, including two Afghan nationals belonging to Indian-sponsored Fitna al-Khawarij were sent to hell in Ali Khel,” according to the ISPR.
Two militants each were neutralised in Mir Ali and Datta Khel, causing a significant blow to the terrorists’ network operating in the area, it said.
“However, during these engagements, two brave sons of the soil, Havildar Asmat Ali (43 years, resident of District Swabi) and Naik Aftab Ali (32 years, resident of District Mardan) who fought gallantly, rendered the ultimate sacrifice and embraced shahadat,” the ISPR added.
The military’s media wing said that weapons and ammunition have also been recovered from killed India-backed terrorists, who remained actively involved in numerous terrorist activities, including the killing of civilians
Sanitisation operations will continue to eliminate remaining holed-up militants from the areas, the ISPR said, pledging that the relentless counterterrorism campaign will continue at full pace to wipe out the menace of foreign-sponsored terrorism from the country.
Pakistan has witnessed a surge in terror activities, particularly in its KP and Balochistan provinces, since 2021, when the Afghan Taliban came into power.
According to a report by the Centre for Research and Security Studies (CRSS), the two provinces remained the country’s main hotspots for violence during the second quarter of 2026, with KP emerging as the worst-affected region.
The report stated that KP and Balochistan together accounted for nearly 96% of all violence-related fatalities recorded during the quarter. Of the total deaths, more than 61% (475) were reported in KP, while Balochistan accounted for 34% (265).
KP also recorded the highest number of violent incidents, with 151 cases, representing 57% of the nationwide total. Balochistan followed with 94 incidents, or 35%, underscoring the concentration of militant activity in the two provinces.