ISLAMABAD - A Pakistan Army soldier was martyred on Saturday in an intelligence-based operation in the general area of Bannu’s Jani Khel in which four terrorists were killed as well. A press release from the Inter Services Public Relations said that troops “effectively engage[d]” the terrorists’ location and an “intense fire exchange” took place during which 25-year-old Sepoy Muhammad Waseem, a resident of Khairpur, fought “gallantly” and was martyred. Meanwhile, the terrorists killed had remained “actively involved in terrorist activities against security forces and killing of innocent citizens”, the ISPR said, adding that weapons and ammunition were recovered from them. “Sanitisation of the area is being carried out to eliminate any other terrorists found in the area,” the ISPR said. Over the past few months, the law and order situation in the country has worsened, with terrorist groups like the outlawed militant Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan, the Islamic State group and Gul Bahadur Group executing attacks with near impunity across the country. Insurgents in Balochistan have also stepped up their violent activities and formalised a nexus with the TTP. The incident at the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa police’s Counter-Terrorism Department interrogation centre in Bannu and the botched suicide bombing attempt in Islamabad not only set off alarm bells in the power corridors but also left several countries worried about the security of their nationals. The US, UK, Australia and Saudi Arabia have issued advisories, asking their nationals to restrict movements in Pakistan and avoid non-essential trips.
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