Major Martyred as Five Militants Killed in North Waziristan Operation

ISLAMABAD: An army officer embraced Shahadat during an intelligence-based operation (IBO) in the Razmak area of North Waziristan district, Pakistan military said in a statement on Saturday.

During the operation, security forces also killed five terrorists affiliated with Fitna al Khawarij, according to the military’s media wing.

Fitna al Khawarij is a term the state uses for terrorists belonging to the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).

On 01 August 2026, Security Forces conducted an intelligence based operation in general area Razmak, North Waziristan District, on reported presence of Khwarij belonging to Indian Proxy, Fitna Al Khwarij.

During the conduct of operation, due to effective engagement by own troops, five Indian sponsored khwarij were sent to hell.

However, during the intense fire exchange, Major Hafiz Ihsan Elahi (age: 34 years, resident of District Mianwali), a brave officer who was leading his troops from the front, having fought gallantly, paid the ultimate sacrifice and embraced shahadat.

Weapons and ammunition were also recovered from the killed khwarij, who remained actively involved in numerous terrorist activities against the Security Forces and Law Enforcement Agencies as well as killing of innocent civilians.

Sanitization operation is being conducted to eliminate any other Indian sponsored Kharji found in the area, as the relentless Counter Terrorism campaign under vision “Azm-e-Istehkam” (as approved by the Federal Apex Committee on National Action Plan) by Security Forces and Law Enforcement Agencies of Pakistan will continue at full pace to wipe out the menace of foreign-sponsored and supported terrorism from the country and such sacrifices of our brave soldiers further reinforce our unwavering commitment of safeguarding our nation at all costs.

North Waziristan has remained one of the main theatres of militant activity in Pakistan’s northwestern tribal belt, with security forces conducting sustained counterterrorism operations against the TTP and other militant groups. The district, which borders Afghanistan, was a major stronghold of the TTP before a large-scale military operation, Zarb-e-Azb, was launched in 2014. Although the operation significantly disrupted militant infrastructure, militant groups have continued to carry out attacks from bases and hideouts in the broader Afghanistan-Pakistan border region.

Security concerns in the area have intensified in recent years amid a resurgence of militant violence in Pakistan. The TTP has carried out attacks against security forces and civilians in several parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, while Pakistani officials have repeatedly alleged that militants are using sanctuaries across the Afghan border to plan and launch attacks. Kabul has denied allowing Afghan territory to be used against Pakistan, but the issue has remained a major source of tension between the two countries.

The latest operation comes as security forces continue counterterrorism operations under Azm-e-Istehkam, the government-backed framework aimed at strengthening the campaign against militancy. The military has increasingly described the current wave of terrorism as foreign-sponsored, particularly alleging Indian support for militant groups operating against Pakistan. India has rejected such allegations. The reference to an “Indian proxy” in the military’s latest statement therefore comes against the backdrop of both Pakistan’s continuing struggle with TTP-linked militancy and growing regional tensions over allegations of state support for militant activity.