Four terrorists, including their ringleader Batoor, were killed and three others sustained injuries during an intelligence-based operation (IBO) carried out by security forces in the Khyber district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), the military’s media wing said on Thursday. According to a statement issued by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the security forces conducted the IBO in the general area Bagh, Khyber district on the reported presence of terrorists on November 27. “During the conduct of the operation, own troops effectively engaged khwarij location, as a result of which, four khwarij including Kharji ring leader Batoor, were sent to hell, while three khwarij got injured.” The ISPR said that the sanitisation operation was being conducted to eliminate any other terrorists found in the area, as the security forces of Pakistan are determined to wipe out the menace of terrorism from the country. In their separate messages, President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif lauded the security forces for killing the terrorists. They commended the officers and personnel of the security forces for the successful operation against terrorists in the Khyber district. President Zardari praised the role of the security forces in the war against terrorism and reiterated the resolve to completely eradicate this menace. PM Shehbaz said that the entire nation stands with the security forces against terrorism. He affirmed that the war against terrorism will continue until this menace is completely wiped out from the country. Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi also congratulated the security forces for conducting the successful operation against the terrorists. He said they are proud of the capabilities of their security forces, adding that the brave forces thwarted nefarious intentions of terrorists. It is pertinent to mention here that the third quarter (July-September) of 2024 saw a sharp increase in fatalities of terrorist violence and counter-terrorism campaigns, with a 90% surge in violence, according to a report issued by Center for Research and Security Studies (CRSS). A total of 722 people were killed, including civilians, security personnel, and outlaws, while 615 others were wounded in as many as 328 incidents recorded during the period under review. Nearly 97% of these fatalities occurred in KP and Balochistan – marking the highest percentage in a decade, and over 92% of these incidents of terror attacks and security forces’ operations were recorded in the same provinces. The total fatalities from three quarters of this year have now surpassed the total fatalities recorded for the entire 2023; the number of fatalities rose to at least 1,534 in the first three quarters compared to 1,523 in 2023.