A deadly exchange of gunfire in the Mir Ali area of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s North Waziristan district claimed the lives of two Pakistani soldiers and one terrorist, according to a report by Dawn citing the military’s media affairs wing. The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) confirmed that troops effectively engaged the terrorists’ location, resulting in the deaths of Sepoy Abdullah (25) and Sepoy Muhammad Sohail (19). The sanitization of the surrounding areas is underway to neutralize any remaining terrorists.
This incident follows a terrorist attack on police in the Kari Shah Noor area of Pakistan’s Tank on November 11, where three police personnel, including a station house officer, lost their lives. The uptick in terror activities in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan in recent months has heightened security concerns, with a significant increase in fatalities among security personnel.
As reported by the Centre for Research and Security Studies (CRSS) in October, 386 security personnel lost their lives in the first nine months of 2023, reaching an eight-year high. The regions of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan continue to be focal points for violence, accounting for the majority of fatalities and attacks. The deteriorating security situation underscores the challenges faced by Pakistan in maintaining stability after the end of the ceasefire with the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan last year.
