‘No limits in defending sovereignty’: COAS
13 troops martyred in North Waziristan attack
14 India-backed terrorists killed during sanitisation operations
KARACHI: Field Marshal Asim Munir, Chief of Army Staff, has castigated India for undertaking acts of unprovoked aggression against Pakistan, saying the assumption that the country would show restraint in the face of future violations of its sovereignty “is a dangerous misreading of its strategic fundamentals”.
“As we steadily, but surely, build our comprehensive national power, any enemy acting on the perceived vulnerability of Pakistan under the illusion of strategic impunity or miscalculation, would get a swift and a very befitting response,” he said while addressing Pakistan Naval Academy’s passing out ceremony.
Addressing the ceremony, the army chief noted that India tends to exploit so-called strategic relevance, hubristic mindset, and military capacitation for adventurism aimed at political gains.
“In recent years, under the pretext of counterterrorism, India’s political leadership — marked by a troubling absence of strategic foresight — has twice undertaken acts of unprovoked aggression against Pakistan,” he said, while referring to Indian aggressions after 2019 Palwama attack and the recent Pahalgam attack.
On both occasions, he said, India’s recklessness was met with Pakistan’s resolute response, which not only preserved national honour but also averted a dangerous, broader regional escalation.
“Pakistan, despite grave provocations, acted with restraint and maturity and demonstrated its commitment to regional peace and stability, which has led to Pakistan’s role as net regional stabiliser,” he added.
Furthermore, he said, the onus of an ensuing escalation — one that may ultimately bear catastrophic consequences for the entire region — will squarely lie with the aggressor.
“Pakistan will protect its sovereignty and core national interest decisively and without hesitation,” the field marshal said, adding that the success of “multi-domain operations of Marka-e-Haq” shall never recite from the Indian memory.
He also reiterated Pakistan armed forces’ unwavering resolve to defend the motherland at all costs, saying that any attempts by India to divert attention from Pakistan’s progress in counter-terrorism will not succeed.
The COAS pointed out that strategic distractions orchestrated by India occur whenever Pakistan is on the verge of turning the tide decisively against terrorism. “Such adversities have only strengthened our national resolve,” he added.
He also reaffirmed the armed forces’ commitment to eradicating terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, vowing to take the fight to its logical conclusion.
Reiterating Pakistan’s longstanding position on the Kashmir dispute, he said: “We continue to stand firmly with the people of Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) in their just struggle for the right to self-determination, in accordance with United Nations Security Council resolutions and the aspirations of the Kashmiri people.”
Refuting Indian claims that equate the Kashmiri resistance with terrorism, he said that the ongoing struggle in IIOJK is a legitimate freedom movement, as recognised by international law and conventions.
“Those who have tried to suppress the Kashmiri people’s will and pursue conflict elimination instead of resolution have only made the movement more relevant through their own actions,” he added.
Despite persistent efforts by adversaries to hinder Pakistan’s progress, he added that the country remains on its path to development and prosperity. “Our glorious past is a source of pride, and our future holds the promise of fulfilling Pakistan’s manifest destiny,” he concluded.
13 troops martyred in North Waziristan attack
Moreover, As many as 13 Pakistan Army personnel were martyred after an explosive-laden vehicle rammed into a security forces vehicle in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s (KP) North Waziristan District, the military’s media wing said on Saturday.
The military’s media wing, in a statement, said that a vehicle-borne suicide bomber attempted to explode himself on a security forces convoy, which was intercepted by the leading group, foiling his nefarious design.
However, in their desperation, the ISPR said the explosive-laden vehicle was rammed by the “Indian-sponsored kharjis” into one of the vehicles of the leading group.
“Resultantly, 13 brave sons of soil, embraced Shahadat. In this tragic and barbaric incident, three innocent civilians including two children and a woman also got severely injured,” read the statement.
Meanwhile, in the ensuing sanitisation operations, 14 terrorists were killed by the security forces after an intense exchange of fire.
Army personnel martyred in the attack include, Subedar Zahid Iqbal,45, Havildar Sohrab Khan, 39, Havildar Mian Yousaf, 41, Naik Khitab Shah, 34, Lance Naik Ismail, 32, Sepoy Rohail, 30, Sepoy Muhammad Ramzan, 33, Sepoy Nawab, 30, Sepoy Zubair Ahmed, 24, Sepoy Muhammad Sahki, 31, Sepoy Hashim Abbasi, 20, Sepoy Muddasir Ejaz, 25, Sepoy Manzar Ali, 23.
“The operations in the area would continue and perpetrators of this heinous and cowardly act will be brought to justice,” the statement added.
“The security forces of Pakistan in step with the nation remain steadfast in their resolve to eradicate Indian-sponsored terrorism from the country and such sacrifices of our brave soldiers and innocent civilians further reinforce our unwavering commitment to safeguarding our nation at all costs,” it concluded.
Pakistan has witnessed a surge in terror incidents since Taliban rulers returned to Afghanistan in 2021, particularly in the bordering provinces of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan.
The country saw a slight uptick in militant attacks in May 2025, even as heightened military tensions with neighbouring India failed to trigger a significant escalation in violence from extremist groups.
Data released by the Islamabad-based Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS) indicates a 5% increase in attacks compared to April, though the overall picture suggests militant groups largely remained contained despite the regional geopolitical climate.
8 security personnel martyred in North Waziristan suicide bombing
At least eight security personnel were martyred in a suicide blast in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s North Waziristan district on Saturday, according to a statement issued by the KP chief minister’s office, updating the previous toll of four injured.
According to the statement, KP Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur condemned the attack, which took place in the Mir Ali area in North Waziristan, and expressed his condolences and prayers for the martyrdom of the personnel.
“I salute security personnel and their families who have sacrificed their lives for the country and the nation,” Gandapur was quoted as saying.
“Security forces have made unprecedented sacrifices to establish peace in the country and eliminate terrorism,” the CM added. “These sacrifices further raise the resolve and morale of the nation against terrorism.
“Everyone in the nation stands with security forces in the war against terrorism,” the statement concluded.
Earlier, District Police Officer (DPO) Waqar Ahmed told the media that four civilians were injured in the “suicide attack” carried out through a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device.
The attack comes days after two soldiers were martyred and 11 terrorists were killed during an intelligence-based operation (IBO) in KP’s South Waziristan district.
No one has so far claimed responsibility.
On June 15, a Frontier Corps (FC) soldier was martyred in a targeted gun attack in Ladha tehsil of Upper South Waziristan district.
Earlier this month, 14 terrorists were killed in North Waziristan’s Datta Khel town during a security operation.
Militant groups were unable to significantly escalate their activities in the country last month, according to data released by the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies, which recorded 85 attacks in May compared to 81 in April.
The military has said India was using its “assets” to intensify terrorist attacks in Pakistan, with ISPR Director General Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry detailing “irrefutable evidence” of an Indian military personnel’s involvement.
Pakistan has witnessed an uptick in terror activities, especially in KP and Balochistan, after the TTP ended its ceasefire with the government in November 2022.
The country ranked second in the Global Terrorism Index 2025, with the number of deaths in terrorist attacks rising by 45 per cent over the past year to 1,081.
