Security forces neutralise nearly two dozen terrorists in separate KP operations

• Capt Hussain, Havildar Shafiq embraced martyrdom in Hassan Khel IBO.
• Weapons, ammunition and explosives recovered from killed terrorists.
• Five soldiers martyred in Bagh, Khyber district's IBO, says ISPR.

RAWALPINDI: Security forces have conducted a series of intelligence-based operations (IBOs) in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province from May 26 to 27 and neutralised 23 terrorists, a statement issued by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said Monday.

On May 26, an IBO was conducted in the general area of Hassan Khel, Peshawar district, where six terrorists were gunned down by the security forces and multiple hideouts were busted.

Captain Hussain Jehangir and Havildar Shafiq Ullah also embraced martyrdom in the IBO, while fighting gallantly.

On May 27, in another operation conducted in the Tank district, 10 terrorists were killed after troops effectively engaged the terrorists’ location.

The third engagement occurred in the general area of Bagh, Khyber district, wherein, the security forces killed seven terrorists and injured two terrorists.

During the intense exchange of fire, five brave soldiers, including Naik Muhammad Ashfaq Butt (age 32 years; resident of district Kahuta), Lance Naik Syed Danish Afkar (age 30 years; resident of district Poonch), Sepoy Taimoor Malik (age 32 years; resident of district Layyah), Sepoy Nadir Sageer (age 22 years; resident of district Bagh) and Sepoy Muhammad Yasin (age 23 years; resident of district Khushab), having fought gallantly, embraced martyrdom, the military’s media wing said.

A large quantity of weapons, ammunition and explosives was also recovered from the killed terrorists, who remained actively involved in numerous terrorist activities against the security forces as well as the innocent civilians.

Sanitisation operations are being carried out to eliminate any other terrorists found in the area.

“Security forces 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 concluded.

Last week, the Pakistan Army reiterated its concerns over the use of Afghan soil by militants, saying that there has been a surge in infiltration attempts by terrorists at the Pak-Afghan border as well as terror incidents orchestrated from the neighbouring country.

The statement also shed light on the army's counter-terror operations including the ones being carried out in the Sambaza area in Balochistan's Zhob district since April 21. The operations, as per the army's media wing, have so far resulted in the neutralisation of as many as 29 terrorists.