Pakistan’s 2 high-ranking army officers among 11 soldiers killed in operation against Taliban militants
Pakistan army's two high-ranking army officers were killed among 11 soldiers in the Orakzai district near the Afghanistan border during an anti-militancy operation. The operation also resulted in the killings of 19 militants belonging to the ‘Fitna al-Khawarij’ group
At least 11 army personnel, including two high-ranking officers, were killed during an intelligence-based operation against Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) militants in Pakistan’s restive Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) province on Tuesday night, the Pakistani Army said on Wednesday.
The operation, which took place in the Orakzai district near the Afghanistan border, also resulted in the killings of 19 militants belonging to the 'Fitna al-Khawarij' group.
The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the military's media wing, issued a statement detailing the intense exchange of fire, which took place on the intervening night of 7 and 8 October. Among the Pakistani soldiers killed were two senior officers who were “leading their troops from the front”: Lieutenant Colonel Junaid Tariq (39) and his second-in-command, Major Tayyab Rahat (33), along with nine of their men.
The Pakistani Army said that a comprehensive sanitisation operation is currently underway to eliminate any remaining terrorists in the area.
The term ‘Fitna al-Khawarij’ is the designation the Pakistan government last year assigned to the banned group Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan.
Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif led the national expressions of grief, stating that the sacrifices of the security forces' fearless sons would “never go in vain”. He affirmed the government's unwavering determination to “crush the nefarious intentions of terrorists” and eradicate terrorism from the country.
“We will not allow elements that harm Pakistan’s integrity to succeed,” Sharif added.
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Spike in Militant Attacks
This operation comes amid a significant surge in militant attacks across Pakistan, particularly in the KPK and Balochistan provinces.
According to recent statistics from the Centre for Research and Security Studies (CRSS), Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was the worst-hit region in the third quarter of 2025, suffering nearly 71 per cent of the total violence-linked fatalities nationwide. The spike in violence followed the TTP's decision to call off its ceasefire with the government in November 2022.
Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari also paid tribute to the “courageous action” of the security forces.
In a statement, the presidency quoted him as saying: “The entire nation stands as a lead wall with its armed forces.”