Army Captain Martyred, Seven Terrorists Killed in Hangu IBO
A Pakistan Army captain was martyred and seven terrorists were killed during an intelligence-based operation in Hangu district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the military’s media wing said on Saturday. The operation was carried out on Friday after security forces received information about the presence of militants in the area.
According to the Inter-Services Public Relations, the slain militants were linked to Fitna al Khawarij, the official term used by the state for terrorists associated with the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan. Troops moved on the intelligence lead and engaged the suspects after locating them in the district.
The ISPR said the militants came under effective fire during the operation and later attempted to take shelter inside a mosque. Security forces continued the engagement, and seven terrorists were killed in the exchange. The military statement also said weapons and ammunition were recovered from the militants after the action.
Captain Hamza Akram, 27, from Narowal district in Punjab, embraced martyrdom during the firefight. The ISPR described him as an officer who led his troops from the front while pursuing the militants. Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi paid tribute to the fallen captain and expressed condolences to his family, saying his sacrifice for Pakistan would be remembered with honour.
Security officials said the killed militants had been involved in attacks against security forces, law-enforcement agencies and civilians. A sanitisation operation was launched in the area after the clash to ensure that no other militants remained in hiding and to secure the surrounding population from further threat.
The Hangu operation comes amid a sharp rise in militant violence across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, where security forces have been conducting repeated intelligence-led actions in border and settled districts. A day earlier, the ISPR reported that 10 terrorists had been killed in two separate engagements in South Waziristan and Dir, including militants who allegedly attempted to attack security checkposts in Azam Warsak.
In a separate development in Bannu district, security forces killed a key militant commander identified as Jamidullah during an operation in the Jani Khel area. A security official said the commander was considered skilled in the use of quadcopters and was wanted for involvement in terrorist activity, underlining the increasingly technical nature of militant operations in the region.
Pakistan’s security landscape has remained under pressure as terrorist incidents and counterterrorism operations have intensified in recent months. The Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies reported that July was the deadliest month of 2026, with 205 people killed, including 112 security personnel, while hundreds of terrorists were also eliminated in operations.
The latest Hangu action is likely to reinforce the state’s ongoing focus on intelligence-based counterterrorism operations in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Authorities are expected to continue targeted actions, area clearance operations and coordination among security agencies as Pakistan seeks to contain militant networks and prevent further attacks on civilians and security personnel.