Six Pakistani soldiers were martyred, and three terrorists were killed in an intense gun battle in a remote part of the mountainous North Waziristan district.
The military’s media wing, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), said, “A fire exchange occurred between terrorists and our troops in the general area of Dirduni, North Waziristan District.” As a result, three militants were killed, and two others were injured.
The six brave soldiers who were martyred were Havaldar Saleem Khan (36, from District Tank), Naik Javed Iqbal (37, from District Kohat), Sepoy Nazir Khan (26), Sepoy Hazrat Bilal (25), Sepoy Syed Rajab Hussain (22), and Sepoy Bismillah Jan (22).
The military wing added that a search operation was in progress to clear the remaining threats and sanitize the area to eliminate any discovered terrorists.
The statement concluded with a pledge to eradicate terrorism from the country, with ISPR saying, “Pakistan’s Security Forces are determined to eliminate the threat of terrorism, and the sacrifices of our brave soldiers strengthen our resolve.”
Last week, three Pakistani soldiers were killed in three separate encounters with terrorists in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP)’s Lakki Marwat district, according to the military’s media wing. The ISPR statement reported that on the night of April 27-28, security forces in the Lakki Marwat district valiantly repelled three terrorist attacks at various locations.
The statement also mentioned that a motorcycle-borne suicide bomber detonated himself near a security forces post in the district, followed by a fierce exchange of fire between soldiers and terrorists. In the district’s Amir Kalam and Tajbi Khel neighborhoods, three more terrorists, including terrorist commander Musa Khan, were killed.
Weapons and ammunition were also recovered from the seven terrorists who were killed, according to the ISPR.