An improvised explosive device (IED) exploded on the vehicle of the security forces in Lakki Marwat district, leaving seven Pakistan Army soldiers including a captain martyred, the military’s media wing said on Sunday.

The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said the incident took place on June 9 (today) in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa district.

Resultantly, Captain Muhammad Faraz Ilyas, 26, resident of Kasur district along with six other soldiers — Subedar Major Muhammad Nazir, 50, resident of Skardu district; Lance Naik Muhammad Anwar, 34, resident of: Ghanchi district; Lance Naik Hussain Ali, 36, resident of: Ghizer district; Sepoy Asad Ullah, 33, resident of Multan district; Sepoy Manzoor Hussain, 27, resident of: Gilgit district; and Sepoy Rashid Mehmood, 31, resident of Rawalpindi district made the ultimate sacrifice and embraced shahadat, according to the ISPR.

It also said that the sanitisation of the area is being carried out to eliminate any terrorists present in the area and perpetrators of this heinous act will be brought to justice.

“The security forces of Pakistan are determined to eliminate the menace of terrorism and such sacrifices of our brave soldiers further strengthen our resolve,” the ISPR said.

Last month, two soldiers, including a captain of the Pakistan Army, embraced martyrdom during an intelligence-based operation conducted by the security forces in Peshawar district’s Hassan Khel area, the ISPR said on May 26.

The operation was launched on the “reported presence of terrorists” in the area.

It had added that during the operation, the troops “effectively engaged” with the terrorists and killed five of them while injuring three others.

“However, during an intense exchange of fire, leading his troops from the front, Captain Hussain Jahangir (age: 25 years, resident of Rahim Yar Khan District) along with another brave son of soil, Havildar Shafiq Ullah (age: 36 years, resident of District Karak), having fought gallantly, made the ultimate sacrifice and embraced Shahadat,” the ISPR had said.

At least 92% of all fatalities and 86% of attacks, including those related to terrorism and security forces operations, were recorded in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan provinces in the first quarter of 2024.

These key findings were revealed in the Q1 2024 Security Report issued by the Centre for Research and Security Studies (CRSS), detailing that the country witnessed at least 432 violence-linked fatalities and 370 injuries among civilians, security personnel and outlaws resulting from as many as 245 incidents of terror attacks and counter-terror operations.

Among the 432 fatalities, 281 included that of civilians and security forces personnel.