In a tragic incident, a terrorist attack targeted the vehicles of a private company in the general area of Darazinda, Dera Ismail Khan, leading to the martyrdom of a soldier and two civilians, as reported by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) on Tuesday.

The militants opened fire on the vehicles associated with a development project in the region, resulting in the martyrdom of Muhammad Faisal (35) and Asif Kamran (29), innocent civilian employees of the company from district Karak. Additionally, Sepoy Syed Muhammad Shaheen Shah (33), hailing from district Hangu and assigned to project security, bravely fought the terrorists and embraced martyrdom.

ISPR conveyed that a sanitization operation is underway to eliminate the terrorists in the area, emphasizing the resolve of Pakistan’s security forces to eradicate the menace of terrorism while continuing to support the economic progress of the region.

Simultaneously, in an intelligence-based operation in the Bara area of Khyber district, a terrorist named Qudrat Shah, alias Abubakar, was killed. Recovered from the militant were weapons and ammunition, showcasing his active involvement in numerous terrorist activities.

This incident follows the recent martyrdom of two soldiers, Sepoy Abdullah (25) and Sepoy Muhammad Sohail (19), in a gun battle with terrorists in North Waziristan district’s Mir Ali area. The security forces, in response, conducted a sanitization operation to neutralize any remaining terrorists.

As the nation faces an upsurge in terrorism, particularly from groups like Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), the state has intensified its efforts to counteract these threats. A recent report by the Centre for Research and Security Studies (CRSS) highlighted a significant toll on security forces, with 386 personnel lost in the first nine months of 2023, marking an eight-year high. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan have been identified as primary centers of violence, underscoring the need for continued vigilance and counter-terrorism measures.