At least seven terrorists were killed during an exchange of fire with the security forces in the Ursoon area of Chitral district of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province, the military said in a statement on Sunday. According to Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), another six terrorists were critically injured during the intense exchange of fire. It said that the sanitisation of the area was carried out to eliminate any other terrorists found in the area. “Locals of the area appreciated the operation by the security forces and expressed their full support to eliminate the menace of terrorism from the country,” the statement further said. The incident came days after the Pakistan Army said it repelled a cross-border raid from Afghanistan by a large group of terrorists equipped with the latest weapons targeting the two military posts located in the general area of Kalash in Chitral. During an exchange of fire, at least 12 terrorists were killed while four Pakistani soldiers embraced martyrdom, according to the military’s media wing. The ISPR said owing to the heightened threat environment, security was already on high alert. “The valiant soldiers fought bravely and repulsed the attacks inflicting heavy casualties to the terrorists. During the fire exchange, twelve terrorists were sent to hell, while a large number has been critically injured.” However, during the intense exchange of fire, four brave soldiers, having fought gallantly, embraced Shahadat. Terrorists’ movement and concentration in Gawardesh, Pitigal, Barg-e-Matel and Batash areas of Nuristan and Kunar provinces of Afghanistan had already been picked up and were timely shared with the Interim Afghan government. It further noted that the interim Afghan government was expected to fulfil its obligations and deny the use of Afghan soil by terrorists for perpetuating acts of terrorism against Pakistan. Earlier, the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) claimed to have launched a “grand operation” in Chitral district. A spokesperson for the TTP claimed that the terrorist outfit captured many villages in Chitral that shares border with Kunar, Nuristan and Badakhshan province of Afghanistan. Foreign Minister Jalil Abbas Jilani said the Afghan government must not allow its soil to be used by banned TTP or any other group. He said that Pakistan was in contact with the interim Afghan government on the issue.