RAWALPINDI: Security forces killed 30 Indian-sponsored terrorists in Orakzai district during retribution operations launched after the October 7 attack that martyred 11 Pakistan Army personnel, including two officers, the military’s media wing said on Friday.
According to the ISPR, the operation was carried out in the Jamal Maya area on credible intelligence, leading to an intense exchange of fire in which all 30 terrorists linked to the incident were eliminated. The fallen personnel included Lieutenant Colonel Junaid Tariq and Major Tayyab Rahat, whose sacrifices the ISPR said had now been avenged.
The statement added that sanitisation operations were under way to clear the region of remaining Khawarij elements. “Security forces remain steadfast in eradicating Indian-sponsored terrorism from Pakistan,” it said.
President Asif Ali Zardari paid tribute to the armed forces for dismantling the terrorists’ network, saying the sacrifices of Junaid, Rahat and other martyrs would always be remembered. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also praised the operation, vowing that the sacrifices of the fallen “will not go in vain” and reiterating the government’s resolve to continue the fight until terrorism is fully eliminated.
Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi hailed the Orakzai operation as a “decisive and exemplary blow” to militants, lauding the professionalism of the security forces. He said the nation stood shoulder to shoulder with the military in the campaign against terrorism.
The latest killings followed a separate intelligence-based operation in Dera Ismail Khan’s Daraban area on October 8, where seven Indian proxy terrorists were killed but Major Sibtain Haider embraced martyrdom while leading his men from the front.
Meanwhile, the army’s Corps Commanders’ Conference this week reaffirmed the resolve to dismantle terror networks undermining Pakistan’s security. The surge in operations comes amid data from the Centre for Research and Security Studies showing a 46% increase in violence in the third quarter of 2025, with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan accounting for the overwhelming majority of fatalities.
