Overview

• The overnight intelligence raid in Orakzai, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, triggered a fierce firefight near the Afghan frontier.
• The army identified Lt. Col. Junaid Tariq and Maj. Tayyab Rahat among 11 personnel killed as forces reported 19 militants dead.
• The Pakistani Taliban claimed responsibility, and security officials told Reuters the incident involved a roadside-bomb ambush on a convoy followed by gunfire.
• ISPR referred to the militants as “Khawarij,” a label it uses for groups it alleges receive Indian backing, a characterization India denies.
• The military said clearance operations continue in the area, and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif paid tribute to the fallen troops.