A 19-year-old army cadet embraced martyrdom in an armed attack on a mosque during evening prayers in the Lakki Marwat district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Friday, the military’s media wing said.

According to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), Gentleman Cadet Arif Ullah was offering prayers in the mosque when the attack took place.

“As soon as Khawarij started firing, he (Arif Ullah) immediately responded and fought the khawarij bravely,” the press release stated.

“However, during the incident, Gentleman Cadet Arif Ullah embraced Shahadat (martyrdom), sacrificing his life, while saving many innocent lives of worshippers.”

PM Shehbaz hails Punjab police for eliminating 10 ‘khawarij’ in Mianwali

The cadet was undergoing training in Kakul, but had returned to his hometown of Lakki Marwat on leave, the ISPR said.

“Such [a] heinous and cowardly act of attacking worshippers in the mosque while praying reflects the true ideology of these Khawarij,” the release read.

“[The] valiant act of a young Gentleman Cadet is a testament of spirit of sacrifice and dedication of Security Forces personnel to eliminate the menace of terrorism from the country and such sacrifices further strengthen our resolve,” the ISPR said.

An annual security report from the Centre for Research and Security Studies reveals that Pakistan experienced a troubling rise in violence in 2023, with 1,524 fatalities and 1,463 injuries resulting from 789 terror attacks and counter-terror operations. This marks the highest number of violence-related deaths in six years.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan emerged as the main hotspots for violence, accounting for over 90% of all fatalities and 84% of the recorded attacks, which included both terrorist incidents and operations by security forces.