Orakzai Central Kurram, Pakistan, October 8, 2025 (Agencies) — The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the media wing of the Pakistan military, has confirmed that 11 personnel from the 216 Wing were killed in an ambush by militants in Central Kurram Orakzai area, describing the attack as intense and stating that 19 Pakistani Taliban affiliates were also slain during a fierce exchange of fire.
According to ISPR, Lieutenant Colonel Junaid Arif (39), of Rawalpindi, was leading his troops from the front when he was killed. His second in command, Major Tayyab Rahat (33), also from Rawalpindi, likewise fought valiantly before sacrificing his life. The military said both officers “fought gallantly” and paid the ultimate sacrifice.
The earlier reported names of the dead remain: Wing Commander Raja Junaid Tariq, Major Tayyab, Naib Subedar Azam Gul, Naik Gul Amir, Naik Adil, Lance Naik Irshad, Lance Naik Talish Faraz, Lance Naik Sher Khan, Sepoy Zahid, Sepoy Tufail, and Sepoy Aqif. The injured include Naib Subedar Rais, Sepoy Waqar, and Sepoy Samiullah. Five personnel—Naik Anbar, Naik Mustajab, Naik Asif, Sepoy Amir Zaib, and Lance Naik Qaiser—remain missing, according to earlier field reports.
ISPR’s statement adds that the military launched a punitive operation immediately following the ambush. Troops were reinvigorated to clear hideouts, pursue fleeing militants, and rescue any remaining personnel in the area.
The confirmation from ISPR lends further gravity to the attack, which has drawn condemnation from political leaders and intensified calls for stronger counterterrorism measures in Kurram and along Pakistan’s volatile western border.