Army captian martyred, seven terrorists killed, in Hangu IBO: ISPR

A Pakistan Army captain was martyred and seven terrorists were killed during an intelligence-based operation (IBO) in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa’s (K-P) Hangu district on August 7, the military’s media wing said on Saturday. According to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the operation was conducted on the reported presence of terrorists belonging to “Indian Proxy, Fitna al-Khawarij”. Fitna al-Khawarij is the term the state uses for terrorists belonging to the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). “During the conduct of the operation, own troops effectively engaged the khawarij location,” ISPR said, adding that the terrorists took refuge inside a mosque during the operation. The military said that in the ensuing exchange of fire, seven terrorists belonging to “Indian-sponsored Fitna al-Khawarij” were killed. "During the intense fire exchange, Captain Hamza Akram, 27, a resident of Narowal district, a brave officer who was leading his troops from the front and relentlessly pursuing the khawarij, fought gallantly, paid the ultimate sacrifice and embraced shahadat," the statement added. On 7 August 2026, Security Forces conducted an intelligence based operation in Hangu District, on reported presence of Khwarij belonging to Indian Proxy, Fitna Al Khwarij. During the conduct of operation, own troops effectively engaged khwarij location. In desperation, Khwarij… pic.twitter.com/W4CBuAHAz1 — DG ISPR (@OfficialDGISPR) August 8, 2026 The ISPR said weapons and ammunition were recovered from the killed khawarij, who remained actively involved in numerous terrorist activities against the Security Forces and Law Enforcement Agencies as well as the killing of innocent civilians. A sanitisation operation was underway to eliminate any other terrorist found in the area, ISPR said. Read: Security forces kill 12 terrorists in Balochistan IBOs: ISPR It added that the counter-terrorism campaign under the vision of “Azm-e-Istehkam”, approved by the Federal Apex Committee on the National Action Plan, would continue “at full pace” to eliminate foreign-sponsored and supported terrorism from the country. "The sacrifices of our brave soldiers further reinforce our unwavering commitment to safeguarding our nation at all costs," the statement concluded. President Asif ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif have expressed grief and sorrow over the martyrdom of Captain Hamza Akram during an operation against terrorists in Hangu. In separate statements, they paid tribute to the bravery, courage and devotion to duty of Shaheed Captain Hamza Akram. They also commended the security forces for killing seven khawarij terrorists during the Hangu operation.  President @AAliZardari and PM @CMShehbaz have expressed grief and sorrow over the martyrdom of #CaptainHamzaAkram during an operation against terrorists in #Hangu@PresOfPakistan @PakPMO @OfficialDGISPR #RadioPakistan #News https://t.co/Ws51FGpz8v pic.twitter.com/jtORQZXlpb — Radio Pakistan (@RadioPakistan) August 8, 2026   Terrorism is a growing problem for Pakistan, with the number of attacks rising every year since 2022, according to Armed Conflict Location & Event Data (ACLED), a global monitoring organisation. Data from ACLED shows attacks in Pakistan rose nearly fourfold to 2,425 in 2025 from 658 in 2022, and over the same period, TTP attacks increased more than sevenfold to 838 from 118. Read More: 12 terrorists killed as forces fight off multiple attacks in Balochistan's Kharan Although Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa has borne the brunt of terrorism, Balochistan has also remained a major target of Indian proxies, which often target civilians and military installations in the province. In one such attack on the last day of 2025, terrorists targeted innocent civilians in Balochistan’s Gwadar and Kharan districts, where 18 people, including women, children, the elderly and labourers, embraced martyrdom. The forces continued operations across the provinces against what the state describes as Indian-sponsored terrorists and their proxies, but despite these efforts, the groups have continued to target civilian and defence installations. Earlier this month, at least 30 people, including 27 police personnel, were martyred when terrorists identified by the state as the Indian proxy Fitna al-Hindustan ambushed police personnel deployed in the Kach Mangi Phase III area of Ziarat, triggering hours-long gun battles. The attackers also abducted several civilians and police personnel after the assault. In the aftermath of the attack, the Pakistan Army, Frontier Corps and Balochistan Police launched a joint operation, which remains underway, with forces intensifying action against terrorists across the province.

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