Five soldiers, including a young captain, embraced martyrdom when an IED struck a sanitisation team in Sher Bandi, Kech district, late Monday, the ISPR said.
The device detonated on September 15 as troops moved to secure the area. Pakistan’s forces vowed to continue operations until the menace of terrorism is defeated.
IED attack in Kech and swift retaliatory action
According to ISPR, the blast claimed the lives of Captain Waqar Ahmed (25, Loralai), Naik Asmat Ullah (35, D.G. Khan), Lance Naik Junaid Ahmed (29, Sukkur), Lance Naik Khan Muhammad (29, Mardan), and Sepoy Muhammad Zahoor (28, Swabi).
In a follow-up action, security forces killed five terrorists linked to the Indian-sponsored network “Fitna Al Hindustan.”
Sanitisation operations are continuing in the surrounding belt to deny militants sponsored by Indian government any space.
The military said the sacrifice of the fallen “further strengthens our resolve,” adding that the forces, with the nation’s support, remain determined to eradicate the threat.
Linked networks targeted across Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa
The Kech incident follows two intelligence-based operations in Lakki Marwat and Bannu on September 13–14, where troops neutralised 31 militants tied to the Indian-sponsored “Fitna al Khwarij” network.
Fourteen were killed in Lakki Marwat after an intense exchange of fire. Seventeen more were eliminated in Bannu during a firefight.
Authorities said area domination and clearance are in progress to dismantle logistics, hideouts, and facilitation rings.
Nation salutes martyrs and backs continued operations
Officials underscored that the campaign will press on until terrorist infrastructure is broken and facilitators are exposed. The state is prioritising secure corridors for civilians and rapid restoration of normal life in cleared zones.
Pakistan honours its martyrs and stands firm against foreign-backed militancy.
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