A Pakistan Army soldier was martyred in an exchange of fire with terrorists in the Sararogha area of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s South Waziristan district, the military’s media wing said on Tuesday night.

According to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), a fire exchange took place between army troops and terrorists after the military “effectively engaged the terrorists’ location”.

The statement added that 26-year-old Sepoy Ahmed Ali, a resident of Charsadda district, embraced martyrdom after “fighting gallantly” with terrorists during the “intense fire exchange”.

“Sanitisation operation is being carried out to eliminate any terrorists found in the area as security forces of Pakistan are determined to wipe out the menace of terrorism,” the ISPR said.

It added that “such sacrifices of our brave soldiers further strengthen our resolve.”

On Nov 26, eight terrorists were killed by security forces during an intelligence-based operation (IBO) in South Waziristan.

On Nov 21, the ISPR had said that a soldier had embraced martyrdom in a blast in North Waziristan, while separate IBOs in Dera Ismail Khan and South Waziristan districts had left at least three militants dead.

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

According to data released by the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies, the country experienced a 34 per cent increase in anti-state violence last month.

It had revealed that KP emerged as the most affected province, documenting 51 attacks, causing 54 fatalities and 81 injuries.

Meanwhile, Balochistan had recorded nine attacks, resulting in 18 fatalities, including that of 15 security forces personnel and three civilians.