Two army officers, nine soldiers martyred in Orakzai gunfight with India-backed militants

Two Pakistan Army officers and nine soldiers were martyred in Orakzai during an intelligence-based operation against India-backed terrorists, as 19 militants were killed, reaffirming Pakistan’s resolve to eradicate terrorism.

RAWALPINDI: Two Pakistan Army officers and nine soldiers embraced martyrdom during an intelligence-based operation (IBO) against India-backed terrorists in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Orakzai district, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said on Wednesday.

According to the ISPR, the operation was conducted on the night of October 7-8 on credible intelligence regarding the presence of militants affiliated with the Indian proxy group Fitna al-Khwarij. During the heavy exchange of fire, 19 terrorists were “sent to hell” by security forces.

The martyred officers were identified as Lt Col Junaid Arif (39) and Maj Tayyab Rahat (33), both residents of Rawalpindi, who led their troops from the front. The other martyrs included Naib Subedar Azam Gul, Naik Adil Hussain, Naik Gul Ameer, Lance Naik Sher Khan, Lance Naik Talish Faraz, Lance Naik Irshad Hussain, Sepoy Tufail Khan, Sepoy Aqib Ali, and Sepoy Muhammad Zahid.

The ISPR said a sanitisation operation was underway to eliminate any remaining threats in the area, reiterating that such sacrifices only strengthen the resolve to eradicate terrorism from Pakistan.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed grief over the loss of lives and praised the security forces for neutralising the militants. “The sacrifices of our brave soldiers will never go in vain,” he said.

The Orakzai IBO follows another recent counterterrorism success in Balochistan’s Khuzdar, where 14 militants of Fitna al-Hindustan were killed.

Pakistan has witnessed a 46% surge in violence during Q3 of 2025, with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa remaining the most affected region, accounting for over 70% of total casualties, according to the Centre for Research and Security Studies (CRSS).