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- The gunfight took place during an intelligence-based operation in the Dera Ismail Khan district in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province
- Pakistan has struggled to contain a surge in militancy in KP since a fragile truce between Pakistani Taliban, Islamabad broke down in 2022
ISLAMABAD: A Pakistani army captain and ten militants were killed in a gunfight in Pakistan’s northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province, the Pakistani military said on Friday, in the latest incident of militant violence in the region.
The gunfight took place during an intelligence-based operation in KP’s Dera Ismail Khan district, according to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the Pakistani military’s media wing.
The slain officer was identified as Captain Husnain Akhtar, while the dead militants were described as “Khwarij,” a phrase authorities use for the Pakistani Taliban, or the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).
“During the operation, weapons and ammunition were also recovered from the killed khwarij, who remained actively involved in numerous terrorist activities against the Law Enforcement Agencies as well as target killing of innocent civilians,” the ISPR said in a statement.
“Sanitization operation is being conducted to eliminate any other Kharji found in the area, as the security forces of Pakistan are determined to wipe out the menace of terrorism from the country and such sacrifices of our brave young officers further strengthen our resolve.”
Pakistan has struggled to contain a surge in militancy in KP since a fragile truce between the Pakistani Taliban and Islamabad broke down in November 2022. The TTP and other militant groups have frequently targeted security forces convoys and check-posts, besides targeted killings and kidnappings of law enforcers and government officials in recent months.
Earlier this month, a paramilitary troop and 12 militants were killed in a gunbattle in KP’s Tank district after the militants carried out a suicide attack at the Frontier Constabulary (FC) headquarters, a police official with direct knowledge of the development said.
Pakistan says the takeover of Kabul by the Afghan Taliban in 2021 has emboldened the TTP as it is able to operate out of and launch attacks from safe havens in neighboring Afghanistan. Kabul denies the allegation.