By Islamuddin Sajid
ISLAMABAD (AA) - At least 11 Pakistani security personnel including two officers were killed during a clash with militants in the country's northwest, the military said on Wednesday.
The military's media wing said in a statement that security forces conducted an intelligence-based operation late Tuesday in the Orakzai district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.
During the conduct of operation, 19 terrorists were killed due to "effective engagement" by the troops, but during the exchange of fire, Lt. Col. Junaid Arif, 39, along with second in command Major Tayyab Rahat, 33, "paid the ultimate sacrifice" and were killed along with nine others.
Last month, at least 12 Pakistani soldiers were killed during an exchange of fire with terrorists in the province's South Waziristan district.
Pakistan has seen an increase in militant attacks in recent years. Islamabad accuses Kabul of failing to prevent TTP terrorists from carrying out attacks in Pakistan.
Afghanistan, however, denies the charges, reaffirming the commitment to not allow its soil for attacks on the neighboring country.
At the Moscow Format Consultations on Afghanistan on Tuesday, Pakistan reaffirmed its commitment to a peaceful, stable, and secure Afghanistan. Pakistan’s Special Representative to Afghanistan Mohammad Sadiq said he spoke about the "urgent need for collective regional efforts to effectively counter terrorism and dismantle all terrorist groups operating from Afghan soil."