A Frontier Corps captain and an army soldier were martyred in two separate operations in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Bannu and Khyber districts, the military’s media wing said on Sunday.

The martyred army men were identified as Captain Muhammad Zohaib Ud Din, 25, a Lahore resident and Sepoy Iftikhar Hussain, 29, a Jhang resident.

In a statement, the Inter-Services Public Relations said that eight terrorists belonging to the banned Fitnal Khwarij, erstwhile TTP, were killed in the anti-terrorism operations conducted in KP from November 29 to December 1.

An intelligence based operation was conducted in the general area of Bannu’s Baka Khel on the reported presence of terrorists. Five terrorists were killed and nine injured in the exchange of fire with security forces.

“However, during the operation, Sepoy Iftikhar Hussain, 29, a Jhang district resident, having fought gallantly, embraced shahadat,” it said.

In another operation in the general area of Khyber’s Shagai, security forces killed three terrorists and arrested two others.

“During intense fire exchange, Captain Muhammad Zohaib Ud Din, 25, a Lahore district resident, who was leading his troops from the front, fought bravely, paid the ultimate sacrifice and embraced shahadat,” it said.

According to the ISPR, terrorists were involved in “numerous terrorist activities” against the security forces as well as civilians.

“Sanitisation operations are 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 from the country and such sacrifices of our brave soldiers further strengthen our resolve,” the statement said.

Pakistan has seen an increase in militancy since the Afghan Taliban returned to power in 2021, with the Pakistani chapter of the movement carrying out attacks mostly targeting security forces.

Last week, seven security personnel were martyred in an exchange of fire with terrorists who attempted to attack a security forces’ post in the general area of Shah-e-Mardan of the Kalat district in Balochistan.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif commended the security forces for their successful operation that resulted in the death of eight terrorists. In a statement, the premier expressed his tribute to the martyred soliders.

He prayed for the elevation of the ranks of the martyrs and offered condolences to their families. He emphasised that “the fight against terrorism will continue until it is completely eradicated.”

The PM said: “I, along with the entire nation, take pride in the brave officers and soldiers of the Pakistan Army.” He reiterated that the Pakistani nation would never forget the sacrifices of its martyrs and vowed that the nefarious designs aimed at creating chaos in the country would never succeed.

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“The entire nation stands shoulder to shoulder with the armed forces of Pakistan in this ongoing battle against terrorism.”

Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi also commended the security forces for their operations against terrorists in KP.

Naqvi emphasized that the nation takes pride in its security forces, stating, “We will not allow foreign terrorists to find refuge anywhere in Pakistan.” He assured the people that, with the support of the nation, the government would completely eradicate terrorism.