Security forces killed 10 militants in two separate engagements in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and lost six soldiers in an improvised explosive device attack between Sept. 15 and 17, the military said Thursday.
The operations took place in North Waziristan and Hangu districts as security forces continued a counterterrorism campaign against militants operating in the province.
Six militants killed in North Waziristan
Security forces launched an intelligence-based operation in North Waziristan after receiving information about the presence of militants, according to Inter-Services Public Relations, the military’s media wing.
Troops surrounded the reported militant position and exchanged fire with the group, killing six militants, the ISPR said.
Weapons and ammunition were recovered from the militants, according to the statement. The military said the militants had been involved in several terrorist activities in the area.
Four more killed in Hangu
In a separate operation in Hangu district, security forces killed four additional militants, bringing the reported death toll from the two engagements to 10.
The ISPR identified the militants as members of what Pakistan calls Fitna al-Khawarij and Fitna al-Hindustan and described them as Indian-sponsored.
Those allegations were presented by the Pakistani military and were not independently verified in the statement.
Six soldiers killed in IED attack
The operations were followed by a deadly attack on security forces on Sept. 17.
An IED struck a security forces convoy, killing six soldiers, according to the ISPR. Security forces launched sanitization operations in the area after the blast to search for any militants who may remain there.
The military said law enforcement agencies and security forces were continuing operations under Azm-e-Istehkam, a counterterrorism framework approved by the Federal Apex Committee under the National Action Plan.
The ISPR said the campaign would continue against what it described as foreign-sponsored terrorism.
“The sacrifices of our brave soldiers further reinforce our unwavering commitment to safeguarding our nation at all costs,” the military said.
