By Staff Reporter
ISLAMABAD: An army major was martyred, and seven militants were killed in a clash during an intelligence-led raid in the restive northwest, the military said on Thursday, underscoring the persistent threat of insurgent violence along the Afghan border.
The operation unfolded on Wednesday in the Daraban area of Dera Ismail Khan district, in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, according to a statement from the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the military’s media arm.
Security forces acted on reports of militants affiliated with the “Indian proxy” group known as Fitna al Khwarij — a term the government uses for members of the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), an Islamist insurgent outfit that has waged a long-running campaign against the state.
In the ensuing firefight, troops “effectively engaged” the militants, sending seven “Indian sponsored khwarij” to “hell,” the ISPR said. But the exchange came at a cost: Maj. Sibtain Haider, a 30-year-old officer from Quetta district in Balochistan province, was killed while leading his unit from the front.
“A brave officer who was leading his troops from the front, having fought gallantly, paid the ultimate sacrifice and embraced shahadat,” the statement said. Troops recovered weapons and ammunition from the dead militants, who the ISPR described as “actively involved in numerous terrorist activities against the security forces and law enforcement agencies, as well as [the] killing of innocent civilians.”
A follow-up “sanitisation operation” was underway to “eliminate any other Indian sponsored Kharji found in the area,” the military added.
The raid reflects Pakistan’s ongoing efforts to root out TTP remnants, which have regrouped in recent years amid accusations from Islamabad that India and Afghanistan are providing covert support. The TTP, inspired by the Afghan Taliban but distinct from it, has claimed responsibility for a wave of attacks on Pakistani security forces since the Taliban’s return to power in Kabul in 2021.
In its statement, the ISPR reaffirmed the military’s commitment to the fight. “Security forces of Pakistan are determined to wipe out the menace of Indian-sponsored terrorism from the country, and such sacrifices of our brave sons further strengthen our resolve.”
Dera Ismail Khan, near the porous border with Afghanistan, has long been a hotspot for militant activity, with security forces conducting frequent operations to disrupt hideouts and supply lines. Wednesday’s clash adds to a tally of hundreds of soldiers and militants killed in similar confrontations this year alone, as Pakistan grapples with a resurgence of violence that has strained relations with its western neighbour.
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