Lt. colonel, major among 11 soldiers killed in clash with militants in northwest Pakistan

Pakistan’s military said that 11 of its soldiers, including two officers, were killed during an overnight operation against militants in the northwestern district of Orakzai near the Afghan border. At least 19 militants were also killed in the exchange of fire, according to an army statement issued on Wednesday.

The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the military’s media wing, said the intelligence-based operation was carried out on the night of October 7-8 after reports of the presence of militants belonging to the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) or Fitna al Khwarij, which the army described as an Indian-backed network.

The statement said the operation turned deadly when militants opened intense fire on security forces. Lieutenant Colonel Junaid Arif, 39, and Major Tayyab Rahat, 33 - both from Rawalpindi - were leading the mission and were killed along with nine soldiers under their command.

The army identified the fallen soldiers as:

• Naib Subedar Azam Gul, 38, from Khyber district.
• Naik Adil Hussain, 35, from Kurram district.
• Naik Gul Ameer, 34, from Tank district.
• Lance Naik Sher Khan, 31, from Mardan district.
• Lance Naik Talish Faraz, 32, from Mansehra district.
• Lance Naik Irshad Hussain, 32, from Kurram district.
• Sepoy Tufail Khan, 28, from Malakand district.
• Sepoy Aqib Ali, 23, from Swabi district.
• Sepoy Muhammad Zahid, 24, from Tank district.

The ISPR said the soldiers “fought gallantly and paid the ultimate sacrifice” while leading the attack against militants entrenched in the area.

Following the firefight, security forces launched a search and clearance operation to ensure that no other militants remained in the vicinity.

The army said Pakistan’s forces remain “determined to wipe out the menace of terrorism and foreign-sponsored militancy from the country.”

“Such sacrifices of our brave men further strengthen our resolve,” the statement added.

Orakzai, one of the tribal districts in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, lies along the border with Afghanistan and has long been a hotbed for militant activity. The rugged region was once a stronghold for local and foreign insurgents linked to the TTP and other extremist factions.

Pakistan has conducted numerous operations in recent years to clear the area of militants, but sporadic attacks continue. Security officials often blame groups operating from sanctuaries across the Afghan border for cross-border attacks and unrest in the region.

The Pakistani military also accuses India of supporting insurgent networks inside Pakistan - a charge New Delhi denies.

The Orakzai operation marks one of the deadliest clashes for Pakistan’s military this year, highlighting the ongoing challenge posed by militancy despite years of counterterrorism campaigns.

Pakistan has seen a resurgence of militant violence since the Taliban takeover in Afghanistan in 2021, with attacks increasingly targeting security forces in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan provinces.