Captain among seven soldiers martyred in IED blast in Lakki Marwat

Seven Pakistan Army soldiers, including a captain, were martyred after their vehicle hit an improvised explosive device (IED) planted by terrorists in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s (KP) Lakki Marwat, the military’s media affairs wing said on Sunday.

According to Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the security forces vehicle was hit by a roadside bomb during patrolling in Lakki Marwat.

The martyred personnel were identified as Pakistan Army Captain Muhammad Faraz Ilyas, Subedar Major Muhammad Nazir, Lance Naik Muhammad Anwar, Lance Naik Hussain Ali Sepoy Asad Ullah, Sepoy Manzoor Hussain and Sepoy Rashid Mehmood.

Sanitisation of the area is being carried out to eliminate any terrorists present in the area and perpetrators of this heinous act will be brought to justice, the ISPR said.

“Security forces of Pakistan are determined to eliminate the menace of terrorism and such sacrifices of our brave soldiers further strengthen our resolve,” the military’s media wing concluded.

Pakistan has witnessed a surge in terrorist activities, especially in KP and Balochistan, since the outlawed militant group Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) ended its ceasefire with the government in November 2022.

Earlier in May, the ISPR reported that the security forces gunned down 23 terrorists in three separate operations in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.

“On 26-27 May 2024, twenty-three terrorists were killed by the security forces in three separate operations in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province,” the ISPR said.

It said, “On 26 May, an intelligence-based operation was conducted in general area Hassan Khel, Peshawar District, where six terrorists were successfully neutralized by the security forces and multiple hideouts were busted. Captain Hussain Jehangir and Havildar Shafiq Ullah also embraced Shahadat on 26 May, while fighting gallantly”.

“On 27 May, in another operation conducted in Tank district, own troops effectively engaged the terrorists’ location, as a result of which ten terrorists were killed.”

“The third engagement occurred in general area Bagh, Khyber district, wherein, the security forces killed seven terrorists, while two terrorists were injured. However, during the intense exchange of fire, five brave soldiers; 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 Muahmmad Yasin (age 23 years; resident of district Khushab), having fought gallantly, embraced Shahadat”, the ISPR said.