An officer of the Pakistan Army was martyred on Monday as security forces foiled a terrorist attack in Dera Ismail Khan, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said in a statement.
The martyred officer, identified as Colonel Mujeebur Rehman, was a resident of Bunji in District Astore of Gilgit Baltistan. He is survived by a widow, three sons and a daughter, the ISPR told the media.
According to the media wing of the military, the operation was launched against terrorists who were hiding out near Tank area of DI Khan. The operation was conducted on confirmed intelligence reports, the ISPR added.
"As soon as troops cordoned the area, terrorists opened fire. During operation, two terrorists were killed. In intense exchange of fire, Colonel Mujeebur Rehman embraced martyrdom," the ISPR said.
"During sanitization operation, a large cache of arms and ammunition were recovered from terrorist hideout," the ISPR added.
Marking the completion of three years of Operation Radd-ul-Fasaad (Elimination of Discord), Chief of the Army Staff General Qamar Bajwa had last month said that the army was capable of thwarting any threats.
In a series of tweets, Director General Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Major General Babar Iftikhar noted that the operation, which was a part of the war against terrorism, was initiated in 2017.
He said that the operation, which consolidated the gains of the past operations, indiscriminately eliminated the threat of terrorism and ensured the security of Pakistan's borders.
"Gains of 2 decades of WOT (war on terror) shall be consolidated to achieve enduring peace and stability both for Pakistan and the region. Army is aware and capable of thwarting all threats to security," DG ISPR quoted the COAS as saying.
Attributing the success to the security forces, the army's spokesman said that the journey from terrorism to tourism was "backed by the entire nation and achieved unparalleled success at a monumental cost paid in men and material.
"We pay tribute to our martyrs, our real heroes, and our pride. We also salute our resilient nation in defeating extremists' ideology and for unflinching support to the armed forces."