By Eleven Pakistani troops, including two senior officers, have been killed in a fierce gunfight with armed fighters in the northwest, following an attack claimed by the Pakistan Taliban.
A deadly gun battle erupted in Pakistan’s Orakzai district near the Afghan border, claiming the lives of eleven military personnel and reportedly 19 fighters.
The violence began with an intelligence-based operation, which quickly spiraled into an “intense” exchange of fire, according to a Pakistani army news release. Other reports, citing security officials, suggest the fighters ambushed a military convoy first with a roadside bomb before opening fire.
The Pakistan Taliban, often referred to by the army as “Khawarij,” claimed responsibility for the deadly attack.
The military confirmed the deceased included Lieutenant Colonel Junaid Arif and his deputy, Major Tayyab Rahat, alongside nine other soldiers.
The confrontation is the latest in a series of stepped-up attacks by the Pakistan Taliban, a group dedicated to overthrowing the government and installing its own hardline version of Islamic rule. In recent months, the group has intensified its campaign against Pakistani security forces.
In the wake of the loss, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif issued a statement praising the service of the security forces and paying tribute to the fallen troops.
