Pakistan: 47 killed, including 12 soldiers, in gunfight

Pakistani troops have killed at least 35 'India-sponsored terrorists' in an anti-terror operation in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province. At the same time, the country lost 12 soldiers in heavy gunfire. Pakistan's Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said in a statement on Saturday (September 13).

The ISPR said the casualties occurred in two separate operations from September 10 to 13. In an intelligence-based operation in Bajaur district, the troops raided the hideouts of the terrorists. After a continuous gunfight, 22 terrorists were killed.

On the other hand, 13 more 'terrorists' were killed in a separate operation in South Waziristan. During this, 12 soldiers lost their lives in heavy gunfire. However, the ISPR described this operation as one of the successes of the Pakistani army.

The statement said that a large amount of arms and ammunition were seized in the operation. The deceased were members of the Indian-backed “Fitna al-Khawarij” group and had been carrying out terrorist activities in the border areas for a long time, it said.

The ISPR also said that intelligence reports have confirmed that Afghan nationals were also involved in these attacks. The military said in a statement, “The Fitna al-Khawarij group is using Afghan soil to carry out terrorist activities against Pakistan, which is worrying. Pakistan hopes that the Afghan government will behave responsibly and not allow their land to be used for terrorism.”

Operations are still underway to eliminate terrorist activities in the areas. The ISPR said, “The sacrifices of our brave soldiers have further strengthened our commitment to completely eliminate India-sponsored terrorism from Pakistan.”

Since the Taliban returned to power in Afghanistan in 2021, terrorist attacks in Pakistan’s border provinces have increased. The Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS) reported a 74 percent increase in terrorist attacks in Pakistan in August alone. 194 people lost their lives in various attacks that month.