Waziristan(National Times)- As many as 13 Pakistan Army soldiers were martyred when an explosive-laden vehicle of the Indian-sponsored terrorists rammed into security forces vehicle in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s (KP) North Waziristan district, said Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) in a statement 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.