ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and President Asif Ali Zardari on Wednesday paid tribute to the six security personnel, including a young army officer, who were martyred during an intelligence-based operation in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

The leaders expressed deep condolences to the families of the martyrs and reaffirmed Pakistan’s resolve to eliminate terrorism, according to official statements.

A powerful blast struck a security forces vehicle during the operation earlier in the day, resulting in the martyrdom of Captain Noman Saleem and five soldiers, while several others sustained injuries.

In a statement issued by the Prime Minister’s Office, PM Sharif said the nation “salutes the security forces and the martyrs,” adding that the soldiers had laid down their lives while defending the motherland.

He prayed for the departed and said Pakistan would continue its fight “until the last terrorist is eliminated.”

President Zardari, in a message posted on X, paid tribute to Captain Saleem and the troops who, he said, embraced martyrdom while confronting what Islamabad describes as “India-backed Fitna al-Khwarij.”

Pakistan uses the term “Khawarij” to refer to militants of the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), invoking a label historically associated with an extremist sect that rejected legitimate authority.

The president praised personnel’s courage and stated that Pakistan’s security forces “remain firm in their resolve to eradicate terrorism in all its forms.”

According to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the operation was conducted on October 29 in the Dogar area of Kurram district on the basis of intelligence reports about the presence of militants described as “Khwarij belonging to an Indian proxy, Fitna al-Khwarij.”

The military said seven militants were killed during the engagement.

However, the exchange of heavy fire resulted in the martyrdom of Captain Noman Saleem, a 24-year-old medical officer from Mianwali, along with Havildar Amjad Ali of Swabi, Naik Waqas Ahmad of Rawalpindi, Sepoy Aijaz Ali of Shikarpur, Sepoy Muhammad Waleed of Jhelum, and Sepoy Muhammad Shahbaz of Khairpur.

ISPR stated that sanitization operations are continuing in the area to ensure the elimination of any remaining militants. It said the counterterrorism campaign under the national initiative “Azm-e-Istehkam,” as approved by the Federal Apex Committee, will continue “at full pace” to wipe out foreign-backed terrorism.

Both the prime minister and president emphasized that the sacrifices of the armed forces will not go in vain. “Pakistan’s fight against terrorism is unwavering,” the prime minister said, promising full support to the families of the martyrs.

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President, PM honor six soldiers martyred in Kurram operation in Pakistan’s northwest