1 Pakistani soldier, 8 terrorists killed in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province

Peshawar: A Pakistani soldier was killed and eight terrorists were eliminated during an overnight raid at a militant hideout in the restive Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, the military has said.

According to a statement issued by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) on Wednesday, an intense exchange of fire took place between the security personnel and terrorists during the intelligence-based operation (IBO) in the Shinwarsak area of South Waziristan district, which also left one soldier dead, the Dawn newspaper reported on Thursday.

“Own troops effectively engaged the terrorists’ location and eight terrorists, including terrorist commander Jan Muhammad alias Chargh, were sent to hell,” the statement said.

Weapons and ammunition were seized from the slain terrorists, who have remained actively involved in terror activities against security forces and the killing of innocent citizens, it said.

“Security forces of Pakistan are determined to eliminate the menace of terrorism and such sacrifices of our brave soldiers further strengthen our resolve,” the statement added.

The military has not yet identified the militant group to which the slain terrorists belonged. Pakistan's government has stepped up its offensive against militants following a spike in terror attacks.

According to the Express Tribune newspaper, at least 1,960 operations have been conducted in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, out of which 1,516 were area-domination operations, 301 were intelligence-based operations, and 143 were area-sanitisation operations.