ISLAMABAD: Two soldiers were killed in northwestern Pakistan on Wednesday, the army’s media wing said, during an exchange of fire between security forces and militants in the volatile area.
Security forces engaged the militants’ location in the northwestern district of Lakki Marwat, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said in a statement.
Two “terrorists” named Aftab Malang and Masood Shah were killed in the exchange of fire, the ISPR said. The army’s media wing added that the slain militants were involved in attacks on security forces and killed innocent civilians.
“However, during the intense exchange of fire, two brave soldiers; Sepoy Muhammad Afzal (age 29 years; resident of district Bhimber, Azad Kashmir) and Sepoy Ibrar Hussain (age 27 years; resident of district Mansehra), having fought gallantly, embraced Shahadat,” the ISPR said.
The army said a sanitization operation was being carried out to eliminate any other militants in the area.
“Security forces of Pakistan are determined to wipe out the menace of terrorism from the country and such sacrifices of our brave soldiers further strengthen our resolve,” the ISPR concluded.
Pakistan has seen an uptick in violence since the Afghan Taliban seized power in Kabul in August 2021. The Pakistani Taliban or the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) are a separate group from the Afghan Taliban but share their ideology.
Militant attacks in Pakistan’s northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, which borders Afghanistan, have significantly increased since a fragile truce between the state and the TTP broke down in November 2022.
Pakistan says TTP militants have found refuge in sanctuaries in Afghanistan, a claim vehemently denied by Kabul. Islamabad has urged Kabul to take action against militants that it says use Afghan soil to attack Pakistan.
