NORTH WAZIRISTAN: A young army officer and four soldiers were martyred in an exchange of fire with terrorists that took place when security forces conducted an intelligence-based operation in the Boyya area of North Waziristan tribal district on Monday, the military said.

During the conduct of the operation, an intense exchange of fire took place between the troops and the terrorists, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the military’s media affairs wing, said. The troops effectively engaged the terrorists’ location as a result of which four terrorists were killed. Weapons and ammunition were recovered from the killed terrorists.

The killed terrorists remained actively involved in terrorist activities against security forces and killing of innocent citizens, the ISPR said.

However, it said, during the intense exchange of fire, Captain Abdul Wali, 26; Naib Subedar Nawaz, 45; Havaldar Ghulam Ali, 34; Lance Naik Ilyas, 33; and Sepoy Zafar Ullah, 29, embraced shahadat.

Sanitisation of the area is being carried out to eliminate any other terrorists found there.

The ISPR said that Pakistan Army is “determined to eliminate the menace of terrorism and such sacrifices of our brave soldiers will not go unpunished”.