Two soldiers were martyred on Wednesday after an improvised explosive device (IED) exploded on a security forces’ convoy in the Razmak area of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s North Waziristan district, the military’s media affairs wing said.

In a statement, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) identified the martyred soldiers as 33-year-old Lance Naik Ehsan Badshah and 30-year-old Lance Naik Sajid Hussain.

“Sanitisation operation is being carried out to eliminate any terrorists present in the area as the 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.

Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar condemned the incident and extended his condolences to the martyrs’ families.

“The prime minister said that the war against terrorism will continue until it is eradicated from the country. The sacrifices of Pakistan Army and law enforcement agencies for the survival of the country are unforgettable,” he said, according to a statement from the Prime Minister’s Office.

“The sacrifices of these martyrs strengthen our determination to rid the nation of terrorism. We salute the brave sons of the earth who are making great sacrifices of their lives in the fight against this scourge,” said PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif.

PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari also condemned the attack and condoled the heirs of the soldiers.

2 killed, 2 injured in Bajaur blasts

Meanwhile, two people were killed while two others were injured in two separate blasts in KP’s Bajaur, according to officials.

Bajaur Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Sattar Khan told Dawn.com that the first incident occurred in Dama Dola area. He said three people affiliated with the Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam were on their way to a funeral when a planted explosive device detonated.

The DSP said two people were killed while the third was injured.

Khan said that second blast was also of a similar nature and took place in Manizo area. He said that a man travelling in a car was returning home when a planted explosive device detonated, completely wrecking the vehicle.

The police official said the injured person was moved to the District Headquarters Hospital for treatment.

A day earlier, the ISPR said that a soldier embraced martyrdom in an IED blast in North Waziristan, while separate intelligence-based operations in Dera Ismail Khan and South Waziristan districts left at least three militants dead.

Last week, four militants were killed and a soldier was martyred in separate operations in Peshawar and Dera Ismail Khan.

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