At least 11 Pakistani security personnel, including two officers, were killed during a clash with terrorists 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 the operation, 19 terrorists were killed due to "effective engagement" by the troops, but during the exchange of fire, Lieutenant Colonel 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 terrorist attacks in recent years. Islamabad accuses Kabul of failing to prevent the banned Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) terrorists from carrying out attacks in Pakistan.
Afghanistan, however, denies the charges, reaffirming its commitment not to allow its soil for attacks on the neighbouring 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".
