Hangu firefight: 2 officers among 6 soldiers martyred, 8 militants killed

Six Pakistan Army personnel, including two officers, were martyred and eight militants killed in an exchange of fire in Hangu district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Sunday, the Inter Services Public Relations said.

The two officers were named as Captain Abuzar Farooq, 23, from Gujranwala, and Lieutenant Sheraz Babar, 22, from Chakwal. Four other soldiers were martyred in the same engagement. ISPR said the officers "were leading their troops from the front, fought gallantly and paid the ultimate sacrifice".

The military said troops moved on a reported presence of militants in the area, and that the group belonged to what the army calls Fitna al Khwarij, its term for the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan. ISPR described the group as Indian sponsored.

What is still happening

A sanitisation operation was under way on Sunday night to clear any remaining militants from the area. ISPR said operations against militant groups would continue under Azm-i-Istehkam, the campaign announced in 2024 that covers intelligence based operations across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan.

Hangu sits on the road between Kohat and Thall, on the approach to Kurram and the former tribal districts. It has seen repeated attacks on security convoys and checkposts through this year.

The wider week

This is the second multiple casualty engagement in a week. On 18 September ISPR reported six soldiers martyred and ten militants killed in separate operations in North Waziristan and Hangu. Earlier on Sunday, security forces recovered 23 abducted people and killed five militants at a fake checkpost set up on the N-25 highway near Kalat in Balochistan.

Taken together, the three announcements account for 17 security personnel martyred and 23 militants killed in the space of four days, across two provinces.

What it means where you live

For people travelling through Kohat, Hangu, Bannu and Kurram, the practical effect is the same each time: road closures on the Indus Highway and the Kohat to Thall road while a sanitisation operation runs, and checkpoints that add hours to a journey. Check with the district police before setting out on those routes over the next two days.

The funerals of the martyred personnel will be held with full military honours. ISPR did not name the four soldiers.

What we do not know yet

ISPR did not say how long the engagement lasted, whether the militants were holding a position or moving, or whether any were detained. It did not give the exact location within Hangu district. We will update this story when those details are released.