Lt. Col. Muhammad Ali Shoukat was a 43-year-old Pakistan Army officer from Faisalabad. He was an experienced soldier, remembered by his colleagues for his courage and commitment.
On the night of 4 – 5 October, Lt. Col. Shoukat was leading a military operation to counter militants of ‘Fitna al-Khawarij’ – a term used by the Pakistani government to describe the proscribed armed group, Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan. The operation took place in the Spinwam area of North Waziristan district, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, which borders on Afghanistan. It resulted in the death of Lt. Col. Shoukat, five of his troops, and six militants.
The Pak Institute for Peace Studies recorded at least 1,950 deaths from violence and armed conflict in Pakistan in 2024. Of these, 577 were civilians and 441 were Pakistan army, police or other security forces. At least 932 militants, or suspected militants, also died.
Lt. Col. Shoukat is survived by his wife and three sons.