Six Pakistani Soldiers, Including Two Officers, Killed in Hangu Clash

PESHAWAR (Terror Monitor) — Six Pakistani military personnel, including two officers, were killed in an armed clash with terrorists belonging to the outlawed Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) in Hangu district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, while eight TTP terrorists were also killed, according to Pakistan’s military.

The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said security forces engaged the terrorists in an exchange of fire in Hangu district, resulting in the deaths of eight terrorists and six military personnel.

The military identified the two officers killed in the clash as 23-year-old Captain Abu Zar Farooq and 22-year-old Lieutenant Shiraz Babar. According to the ISPR, Captain Abu Zar Farooq was from Gujranwala, while Lieutenant Shiraz Babar was from Chakwal.

The ISPR said the two officers were leading their troops from the front when they were killed during the engagement.

A clearance operation is underway in the area to locate and eliminate any remaining terrorists, the military said.

The ISPR said Pakistan’s security forces remain committed to eliminating terrorism from the country and that the sacrifices of its personnel further strengthen this resolve.

Separately, the death toll from Friday’s suicide car bombing near a mosque at the police lines in Kohat and subsequent attacks targeting police installations has risen to 31, including 16 police personnel. Authorities said more than 100 people were injured in the attacks.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Inspector General of Police Zulfiqar Hamid said the suicide bomber rammed an explosives-laden vehicle into the entrance of the police lines, causing a powerful explosion.

He said several terrorists subsequently attempted to enter the compound and advance toward the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) building, but security personnel responded promptly and killed them.

According to the police chief, other attackers attempted to move toward the Special Branch building but were also stopped by security forces.

The attacks came amid a recent increase in clashes and terrorist attacks across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

The group Ittehad-ul-Mujahideen Pakistan has claimed responsibility for the Kohat attack.

The attack also brought renewed attention to the security situation in the province following the January 2023 suicide bombing at a mosque inside Peshawar’s police lines. That attack killed 101 police officers and personnel.

According to Terror Monitor Chief Editor Shabbir Turi, Ittehad-ul-Mujahideen is a faction of the Pakistani Taliban network led by Hafiz Gul Bahadur, who has maintained a major militant network in North Waziristan and neighboring Bannu district for more than two decades.

Turi said Lashkar-e-Islam, another group associated with Ittehad-ul-Mujahideen, operates in parts of Khyber district and emerged more than two decades ago.

He further said that Harakat-e-Inqilab-e-Islami Pakistan plays an important role within Ittehad-ul-Mujahideen and first emerged publicly in mid-March 2025, although the names used for its leadership and members are also relatively new.

Turi added that Jamaat-ul-Ahrar, a faction affiliated with the outlawed TTP, has also expressed sympathy for Ittehad-ul-Mujahideen.