- Major Muhammad Awais of Narowal embraces martyrdom.
- Operations carried out in Bannu, South and North Waziristan.
- Security forces determined to end terrorism: ISPR.
RAWALPINDI: A Pakistan Army major embraced martyrdom as 13 terrorists were killed during three separate intelligence-based operations (IBOs) in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the army’s media wing said on Thursday.
According to Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), an intelligence operation was carried out on the alleged presence of terrorists in the general area of Jani Khel in Bannu district.
During the operation, the ISPR said that the security forces troops indeed attacked the location of the terrorists and as a result killed two of them.
Meanwhile, another IBO was carried out in North Waziristan district where five terrorists were effectively neutralized by security forces during the exchange of fire and eight were injured.
“However, during the intense exchange of fire, Major Muhammad Awais (age: 31, resident of Narowal district), who was leading his troops from the front, made the ultimate sacrifice and hugged Shahadat,” the statement said.
The ISPR added that in a third encounter that took place in South Waziristan district, security forces successfully neutralized six terrorists and injured eight others.
Clearance operations are being carried out to eliminate any other terrorists found in the area as Pakistan’s security forces are determined to end the menace of terrorism, the statement said.
Pakistan has been reeling from a surge in terrorist attacks since the return of the Taliban government in neighboring Afghanistan, with the two adjacent provinces hardest hit.
The third quarter of 2024 (July-September) witnessed a sharp increase in deaths in terrorist violence and counter-terrorism campaigns, with a 90% increase in violence, according to a report published by the Center for Research and Studies of Security (CRSS).
A total of 722 people were killed, including civilians, security personnel and outlaws, while another 615 were injured in as many as 328 incidents recorded during the period under review.
Nearly 97% of these deaths occurred in KP and Balochistan, which is the highest percentage in a decade, and more than 92% of these incidents of terror attacks and security forces operations were recorded in the same provinces.
The total deaths for three quarters of this year have exceeded the total deaths recorded for all of 2023; The number of fatalities increased to at least 1,534 in the first three quarters, compared to 1,523 in 2023.
