Six army soldiers, including a lieutenant general, were martyred in an exchange of fire with terrorists in the general area of Spinwam, North Waziristan district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the military’s media wing said on Saturday.

In a statement, the Inter-Services Public Relations said that six Khwarij, terrorists belonging to banned TTP, were killed in the gun battle.

In July, the government officially designated the banned TTP as “Fitna al Khawarij,” instructing all institutions to refer to the perpetrators of terrorist acts in Pakistan as kharji (outcast).

The deceased soldiers were identified as Lieutenant Colonel Muhammad Ali Shoukat, 43, a Faisalabad resident; Lance Naik Muhammad Ullah, 31, a Khyber resident; Lance Naik Akhtar Zaman, 30, a Lakki Marwat resident; Lance Naik Shahid Ullah, 29, a Tank resident; and Lance Naik Yusaf Ali, 31, a Orkazai resident; and Sepoy Jameel Ahmed, 26, a Swat resident.

“Sanitization operation is being conducted to eliminate any other Kharji found in the area as Security Forces of Pakistan are determined to wipe-out the menace of terrorism and such sacrifices of our brave soldiers further strengthen our resolve,” it said.

The ISPR released details on the martyred soldiers:

• Lieutenant Colonel Muhammad Ali Shaukat (43 years old) from Faisalabad, survived by his wife and three sons.
• Lance Naik Muhammad Ullah (30 years old) from Khyber District, who served for 13 years and is survived by his wife.
• Lance Naik Yusaf Ali (31 years old) from Lower Orakzai, who dedicated 11 years to the Pakistan Army and left behind a grieving wife.
• Lance Naik Shahid Ullah (29 years old) from Tank District, who served for 7 years and is survived by his wife.
• Lance Naik Akhtar Zaman (30 years old) from Lakki Marwat District, who served for 10 years and left behind a sorrowful wife.
• Sepoy Jameel Ahmed (26 years old) from Swat District, who served for 5 years and is survived by his wife.

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Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Faisal Karim Kundi expressed deep sadness on Saturday over the loss of soldiers.

In his statement, the governor honoured the courageous sacrifices of the fallen soldiers, highlighting that they gave their lives to safeguard the nation.

Last month, six soldiers were martyred while 12 terrorists were killed during operations in the North and South Waziristan districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

The ISPR had said that security forces detected the movement of seven terrorists attempting to infiltrate the Pakistan-Afghanistan border in the Spinwam area of North Waziristan on Thursday.

In the recent past, Pakistan has experienced a significant rise in attacks targeting security forces, law enforcement agencies, and checkpoints, particularly in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.