A Pakistan Army officer and three soldiers were martyred in an intelligence-based operation (IBO) in Tirah area of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Khyber district, the military’s media affairs wing said on Monday.

According to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), security forces conducted an IBO in Tirah on the reported presence of terrorists.

During the operation, Pakistan Army troops — led by Lt Col Muhammad Hassan Haider — “effectively engaged the terrorists’ location”. As a result, three militants were “sent to hell” while three others were injured, the ISPR said.

The ISPR said that during an “intense exchange of fire”, 43-year-old Lt Col Haider, 31-year-old Naik Khushdil Khan, 27-year-old Naik Rafique Khan and 33-year-old Lance Naik Abdul Qadir embraced martyrdom.

“Sanitisation operation is being carried out to eliminate any terrorists found in the area. Security forces of Pakistan are determined to eliminate the menace of terrorism and such sacrifices of our brave soldiers further strengthen our resolve,” the ISPR said.

In a separate statement, the ISPR said that the funeral prayers of the martyred were offered at the Peshawar Garrison. “Shuhada will be laid to rest with full military honours in their respective hometowns,” the military said.

“Armed forces of Pakistan stand resolute and committed to eliminate the menace of terrorism from the motherland at all cost,” it added.

Interim Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar expressed deep sorrow and grief over the martyrdom of the Pakistan Army officer and three soldiers.

The prime minister said they sacrificed their lives for the security of the country. “The entire nation, including me, is proud of its martyrs,” Kakar said.

He vowed to continue the war against terrorism until it was completely eradicated from the country. “The evil intentions of the enemies of peace will never be allowed to succeed,” he added.

“We will make the terrorists and their handlers pay for this,” said interim Foreign Minister Jalil Abbas Jilani.

PML-N’s Shehbaz Sharif offered his condolences to the families of the martyred.

“Their sacrifice for the security of our nation will never be forgotten. Our armed forces continue to valiantly root out the scourge of terrorism from our soil so that our brothers and sisters live in peace and prosperity,” he said.

In a statement, PPP’s Asif Ali Zardari said, “The nation will not let the sacrifice of its brave men go in vain.

“An operation like that of Swat is necessary to rid our beloved nation from terrorists. They are the enemies of the country and it is necessary to eliminate them,” he said.

The incident comes two days after terrorists attac­ked the Pakistan Air Force’s (PAF) heavily-guarded M.M. Alam Base during the early hours of Saturday morning. According to the ISPR, “all nine terrorists were sent to hell” while no damage was done to any of the PAF’s functional operational assets.

On Friday, 17 security personnel were martyred in an ambush, bomb blasts and security operation in Gwadar, Dera Ismail Khan and Lakki Marwat.

Pakistan has witnessed an uptick in terror activities in recent months, especially in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, after the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan ended its ceasefire with the government in November last year.

In September, data compiled by the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS) said the number of militant attacks in August was the highest tally for monthly strikes in almost nine years.

There were 99 attacks across the country, the highest number in a single month since November 2014, the report had said.

Additional input from APP