PESHAWAR: Six Pakistani security personnel, including two army officers, were killed and eight fighters from the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) died in an exchange of fire in the northwestern district of Hangu on Sunday, the military said.
The confrontation took place when a convoy of security forces came under attack in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa district, according to the military’s media wing, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR). A fierce gunbattle followed as the troops returned fire, reported by Dawn News.
The two officers killed in the fighting were identified as 23 year old Captain Abuzar Farooq, from Gujranwala, and 22 year old Lieutenant Sheraz Babar, from Chakwal. Four other security personnel, including three soldiers and a civilian employee, were also killed, ISPR said.
The military said eight TTP fighters were killed during the clash. It did not provide details about their identities or the circumstances of the attack. A search operation was under way in the area to determine whether other militants remained nearby.
ISPR said Pakistan’s counterterrorism campaign would continue under the government’s “Azm-i-Istehkam” policy, which was approved by the country’s National Action Plan committee. The military said the campaign aimed to prevent further attacks and dismantle militant networks operating in the country.
The latest violence came two days after a major attack near a mosque inside an old police compound in neighbouring Kohat district. Officials said 23 people, including 17 police officers, were killed in the assault. Eight attackers were also killed during an overnight operation to clear the compound.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has experienced a rise in militant violence in recent months. Data compiled by the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies showed that attacks in the province increased in August compared with July.
Hangu has been repeatedly affected by violence. On Aug. 7, a military captain was killed and seven militants died during an intelligence led operation. On July 30, a deputy police chief was among nine officers killed in an attack on a checkpoint in the district.
