Overview

• The pre-dawn intelligence-based operation unfolded in Orakzai district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa near the Afghan border on the night of October 7–8, according to the military.
• Lt. Col. Junaid Arif and Maj. Tayyab Rahat were among the 11 personnel killed, with the army saying both officers were leading from the front.
• The Inter-Services Public Relations said 19 militants were killed and referred to them as “Fitna al-Khawarij,” a designation used for the TTP, while alleging Indian backing.
• The Pakistani Taliban said it carried out the attack, and security officials cited by Reuters reported a roadside bomb against a convoy followed by gunfire.
• Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif praised the forces and repeated claims of militant sanctuaries across the Afghan border, as the army reported ongoing sanitisation operations in the area.