In an intelligence-based operation conducted in the Bakka Khel area of Bannu District of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, security forces eliminated eight Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) terrorists - referred to as Khawarij - while injuring seven others, the military’s media wing said on Wednesday.
According to a statement from the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the operation targeted the reported presence of militants in the region.
During the engagement, the security forces effectively confronted the Khawarij's location, leading to significant casualties among the militants, the statement added.
The ISPR further said "Tragically, Major Atif Khalil, aged 31 and a resident of Sudhanuti, AJ&K, who was leading his troops from the front, embraced Shahadat (martyrdom) in the fierce exchange of fire. Two other soldiers, Naik Azad Ullah, aged 36 from District Karak, and Lance Naik Ghazanfar Abbas, aged 35 from District Layyah, also paid the ultimate sacrifice alongside Major Khalil."
The ISPR noted that a sanitisation operation is currently underway in the area to eliminate any remaining Khawarij.
The spokesperson also emphasised the unwavering determination of Pakistan's security forces to eradicate the threat of terrorism, stating that the sacrifices made by brave soldiers like Major Khalil and his men only strengthened their resolve in this ongoing fight.
