Seven soldiers who were martyred in North Waziristan attack were laid to rest in their native areas with full military honours on Sunday, the military’s media wing said. A large number of people, family members of martyrs, senior officers of the army, and locals attended the funeral prayers.

“Sacrifices of the brave men of Pakistan Army strengthen our resolve in the war against terrorism,” the Inter-Services Public Relations said in a statement. “Our war will continue until the end of the scourge of terrorism from the motherland.”

Lieutenant Colonel Syed Kashif Ali Shaheed, 39, a resident of Karachi and Captain Muhammad Ahmed Badar Shaheed, 23, a resident of Talagang were among the martyred soldiers in the terrorist attack on Saturday.

Hawaldar Sabir, 39, a resident of the Khyber district; Naik Khurshid, 28, a resident of the Lakki Marwat district; Sepoy Nasir, 29, a resident of Peshawar; Sepoy Raja, 28, a resident of Kohat; and Sepoy Sajid, 25, a resident of Abbottabad.

Six terrorists were killed in the subsequent clearance operation.

An earlier statement from the ISPR stated that President Asif Ali Zardari, Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee General Sahir Shamshad Mirza, Chief of Army Staff General Syed Asim Munir, senior serving military and civil officers, relatives of martyrs and locals of the area attended the funeral prayers of Lt Col Kashif and Captain Ahmed at Chaklala Garrison Rawalpindi.

“Pakistan Army has consistently upheld the ideals of Faith, Unity and Discipline. Guided by these enduring principles, Pakistan Army has always endeavoured to set higher benchmarks of professionalism and loyalty in its unrelenting fight against terrorism,” President Zardari said.

“This noble sacrifice stands as another glorious testament to the unflinching resolve of our gallant sons, who have never hesitated to offer the ultimate sacrifice for the defence of our Motherland. The whole nation stands in solidarity with our Armed Forces,” he said.

Pakistan has seen an uptick in terror activities in 2023, especially in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan after the banned militant Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan ended its ceasefire with the government in November 2022.

Earlier this month, the ISPR said that at least 10 militants were killed in two separate operations by security forces in the North Waziristan district.