Four terrorists killed in intelligence-based operations in KP

RAWALPINDI: Security forces killed four terrorists belonging to Fitna Al Khawarij during two separate intelligence-based operations (IBOs) in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the military’s media wing said on Thursday.

According to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the operations were conducted in Dera Ismail Khan and Mohmand District following reports regarding the presence of militants.

In the first operation, security forces launched an intelligence-based raid in Dera Ismail Khan district. During the operation, troops effectively engaged the militants’ hideout and, after an intense exchange of fire, killed two terrorists.

A second intelligence-based operation was carried out in Mohmand district, where security forces successfully neutralised two more terrorists during a carefully executed engagement.

The ISPR stated that weapons and ammunition were recovered from the slain militants, who had been actively involved in terrorist activities in the region.

The military’s media wing further said that sanitisation operations were continuing in the affected areas to eliminate any remaining terrorist elements.

Reaffirming the state's commitment to counterterrorism efforts, the ISPR said the ongoing campaign under Azm-e-Istehkam, approved by the Federal Apex Committee under the National Action Plan, would continue with full momentum to eradicate foreign-sponsored and supported terrorism from the country.

The latest operations come amid intensified counterterrorism efforts across the province. Last month, security forces killed 13 terrorists during a two-day operation in Darra Adamkhel, including two Afghan nationals linked to the Tariq Gidar group, an affiliate of the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan.

Pakistan has witnessed a resurgence in terrorist violence since the return of the Afghan Taliban to power in Afghanistan in 2021. Islamabad has repeatedly called on the Afghan authorities to dismantle militant sanctuaries allegedly being used by the TTP for cross-border attacks, maintaining that the issue remains a major security concern.