PAKISTAN – At least 11 Pakistani military personnel were killed by militants during an intelligence-based operation in Orakzai district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province on Tuesday.

During the conduct of the operation, 19 terrorists were killed due to “effective engagement” by the troops, but during the exchange of fire, Lt. Col. Junaid Arif, 39, along with second in command Major Tayyab Rahat, 33, “paid the ultimate sacrifice” and were killed along with nine others.

Last month, at least 12 Pakistani soldiers were killed during an exchange of fire with terrorists in the province’s South Waziristan district.

Pakistan has seen an increase in militant attacks in recent years. Islamabad accuses Kabul of failing to prevent TTP terrorists from carrying out attacks in Pakistan.

Afghanistan, however, denies the charges, reaffirming the commitment to not allow its soil for attacks on the neighboring country.

At the Moscow Format Consultations on Afghanistan on Tuesday, Pakistan reaffirmed its commitment to a peaceful, stable, and secure Afghanistan. Pakistan’s Special Representative to Afghanistan Mohammad Sadiq said he spoke about the “urgent need for collective regional efforts to effectively counter terrorism and dismantle all terrorist groups operating from Afghan soil.”

Referring to a recent joint statement by several countries that raised concerns about the presence of various militant groups in Afghanistan, Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi said that no such group exists on his country’s soil.

“I wish to clearly state that no group exists in Afghanistan that uses our territory to create problems for other countries,” he stressed.

He, however, added that Afghan intelligence agencies have indicated that ISIS (Daesh) and other groups have recently established training centers in other countries in the region, “which is a matter of concern for the Afghan government.”