Four army men killed in anti-terror operations in Pakistan

An army officer and three soldiers were killed in operations conducted against militants in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, the military's media wing announced on Saturday.

The army officer was identified as 21-year-old Lieutenant Muhammad Hassaan Arshaf, and the soldiers as Naib Subedar Muhammad Bilal, 39, Sepoy Farhat Ullah, 27, and Sepoy Himat Khan, 29.

According to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the security forces killed 15 terrorists in two separate operations conducted in the area.

One "intelligence-based operation" was conducted in Hathala, Dera Ismail Khan District, where nine militants— including high-profile figures Farman (alias Saqib), Amanullah (alias Toori), Saeed (alias Liaqat), and Bilal— were killed. All were wanted for various terrorist acts, the statement said.

In another operation in Miran Shah six more militants were killed.

"The military reaffirmed its commitment to eradicating terrorism, emphasizing that such sacrifices only strengthen its resolve," the ISPR stated.

Last year was Pakistan’s deadliest year of terrorist violence since 2015, with attacks surging 70% and claiming 852 lives, according to a Pakistan Institute for Peace Studies (PIPS) report.

The report documented 521 attacks, primarily in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and Balochistan, leaving 1,092 injured.

Pakistan has long accused the Afghan Taliban of providing a safe haven to Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) militants, whom Islamabad holds responsible for the surge in terrorist violence since the Taliban’s 2021 takeover of Afghanistan.