Two soldiers martyred as security forces kill ‘wanted terrorist’ in Buner

RAWALPINDI: Two Pakistan Army soldiers embraced martyrdom during an intelligence-based operation (IBO), in which a “highly wanted terrorist” was killed in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s (KP) Buner district, ARY News reported on Saturday.  

According to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the security forces conducted the IBO on the reported presence of terrorists which resulted in the elimination of terrorist and ring leader Saleem alias “Rabbani” while two other militants sustained injuries in the gun battle.

Rabbani, who had an Rs5 million bounty on his head, was involved in numerous terrorist activities against the security forces as well as extortion and target killings of innocent civilians, the military’s media wing said.

However, during the operation, two Pakistan Army soldiers – Lance Havildar Mudassar Mehmood (age 36 years; resident of Rawalpindi) and Lance Naik Haseeb Javed (age 27 years; resident of AJK) – having fought gallantly, embraced martyrdom.

“Sanitisation operation is being carried out to eliminate any other terrorists found in the area. Security forces of Pakistan remain determined to wipe out the menace of terrorism and such sacrifices of our brave soldiers further strengthen our resolve,” the ISPR said.

The operation comes amid a surge in terrorist activities across the country, especially in KP and Balochistan, since the outlawed militant group Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan ended its ceasefire with the government in November 2022.

Earlier on April 9, security forces gunned down two terrorists in an intelligence-based operation (IBO) in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s (KP) South Waziristan.

The security personnel gunned down two terrorists, who remained actively involved in numerous terrorist activities in the area, the ISPR said. Meanwhile, weapons along with a large quantity of explosives were also recovered from killed terrorists.