Rawalpindi: The Public Relations Department of the Pakistan Army (ISPR) said on Thursday that during three separate operations in the districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, one army personnel was martyred while 13 terrorists were neutralized.
According to the army’s media wing, the intelligence-based operation (IBO) was conducted on information about the presence of terrorists in the general area of Jani Khel in Bannu district.
The ISPR said that during the operation, the security forces effectively located the hideout of the terrorists and as a result killed two of them.
Meanwhile, another IBO was conducted in North Waziristan district where security forces effectively neutralized 5 terrorists while 8 were injured during the exchange of fire.
“However, during the fierce exchange of fire, Major Muhammad Owais (age: 31 years, resident of District Narowal), who was leading his troops from the front, made the ultimate sacrifice and embraced martyrdom.”
ISPR further said that in the third encounter in South Waziristan district, security forces successfully killed 6 terrorists while 8 were injured.
Mopping-up operations are underway to eliminate any other terrorists found in the area as Pakistan’s security forces are determined to eradicate the menace of terrorism, the statement said.
Since the return of the Taliban regime in neighboring Afghanistan, Pakistan has been reeling from an increase in terrorist attacks, and its two adjoining provinces have been the worst hit.
According to a report released by the Center for Research and Security Studies (CRSS), the third quarter (July-September) of 2024 witnessed a sharp rise in terrorist violence and casualties in counter-terrorism operations. Violence increased by 90 percent.
A total of 722 people were killed, including civilians, security personnel and illegals, while 615 others were injured in 328 cases assessed.
About 97 percent of these deaths occurred in KP and Balochistan – the highest percentage in a decade, and more than 92 percent of these incidents of terrorist attacks and security forces operations were recorded in the same provinces.
The total deaths from the three quarters of this year have now surpassed the total recorded for the whole of 2023. The number of deaths rose to at least 1,534 in the first three quarters from 1,523 in 2023.