Two Pakistan Army soldiers were martyred in an exchange of fire with terrorists in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Lakki Marwat district on Wednesday, the military’s media affairs wing said.

According to a press release issued by Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR), two terrorists were “sent to hell” during the exchange of fire as “own troops effectively engaged the terrorists’ location”.

The slain terrorists were identified as Aftab alias Malang and Masood Shah.

“These terrorists remained actively involved in numerous terrorist activities against the security forces as well as target killings of innocent civilians. Weapons, ammunition and explosives were also recovered from them,” the ISPR said.

It added that two soldiers identified as Sepoy Muhammad Afzal, a 29-year-old resident of Azad Kashmir’s Bhimber, and Sepoy Ibrar Hussain, a 27-year-old resident of Mansehra, embraced martyrdom during the intense exchange of fire.

“Sanitisation operation is being carried out to eliminate any terrorists found in the area as the security forces of Pakistan are determined to wipe out the menace of terrorism from the country and such sacrifices of our brave soldiers further strengthen our resolve,” the statement concluded.

Separately, three policemen were martyred while a citizen was killed in a late-night attack today on a police checkpost near Lachi Toll Plaza on the Indus Highway in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Kohat district, officials said.

According to a statement released by Lachi Police Public Relations Officer (PRO) Fazl Naeem, the martyred cops included Lance Naik Constable Amjad, Lance Naik Constable Junaid and Constable Waqar.

A resident of Lakki Marwat, Noor Muhammad, was killed as well, Naeem added. Kohat District Police Officer Farhan Khan also confirmed the number of casualties to Dawn.com.

PRO Naeem said that a heavy contingent of police reached the site of the incident upon receiving an alert. The area has been cordoned off and a search operation was under way to locate the miscreants, he said.

The incident comes just two days after a vehicle carrying police personnel on polio duty came under attack in KP’s Mamond tehsil. Seven policemen were martyred in the incident.

The same day, a soldier lost his life while an injured militant was arrested following an exchange of fire between security forces and militants in North Waziristan.

Meanwhile, PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari condemned the attack. In a statement, he expressed grief over the lives lost in the incident and offered his condolences to the bereaved families.

“Terrorists are enemies of the country,” he added. Bilawal said that the sacrifices rendered by the army, security forces and the police would not be in vain.

Ex-president Asif Ali Zardari also condemned the attack and expressed grief over the deaths. He asserted that the National Action Plan be implemented to completely eradicate terrorism.

PPP’s Sherry Rehman said the perpetrators involved in the attack “must be arrested as soon as possible and given exemplary punishment”.

“Thoughts and prayers are with the bereaved families,” she said.

Pakistan has witnessed an uptick in terror activities in the past year, especially in KP and Balochistan after the banned militant Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan had ended its ceasefire with the government in November 2022.

According to an annual security report issued by the Centre for Research and Security Studies (CRSS), Pakistan witnessed 1,524 violence-related fatalities and 1,463 injuries from 789 terror attacks and counter-terror operations in 2023 — marking a record six-year high.

KP and Balochistan provinces were the primary centres of violence, accounting for over 90 per cent of all fatalities and 84pc of attacks, including incidents of terrorism and security forces operations.