Pakistani army loses 11 soldiers, including lieutenant colonel in terror attack

New Delhi (The Uttam Hindu) - Nine soldiers and two officers were killed in an ambush on a Pakistani military convoy near the Afghan border on Wednesday. The Pakistani Taliban has claimed responsibility for the attack.

Local media outlets reported this. Pakistan Armed Forces spokesperson (DG ISPR) confirmed that 11 soldiers, including two officers of the rank of Lieutenant Colonel and Major, were martyred in the Pakistani Taliban attack in Orakzai district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Several militants were also reported killed. Lieutenant Colonel Junaid Arif (39), who was leading the operation, and Major Tayyab Rahat (33) were killed along with nine of their comrades.

Roadside bombs exploded first in the northwestern Kurram district, followed by gunfire. The Pakistani army said in a statement that the operation also killed militants hiding in the nearby Orakzai district. Reuters reported that the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) claimed responsibility for the attack. The group claimed its fighters had attacked the convoy. The TTP has intensified attacks on security forces in Pakistan over the past few months. The group wants to overthrow the Pakistani government and establish its strict Islamic rule. Pakistan, meanwhile, says these militants train in Afghanistan and carry out attacks in Pakistan, a claim Kabul repeatedly denies.

On the night of September 21st, the Pakistani Air Force dropped eight laser-guided bombs on a village in the Tirah Valley of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. According to media reports, a total of 30 people, including women and children, were killed in the airstrike, although the official figure was 24. The Pakistani military claimed that the target of the attack was a bomb-making facility belonging to the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). They alleged that these individuals manufactured bombs and hid them in a nearby mosque.