At least 22 terrorists were killed and six soldiers martyred in three separate engagements in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said on Saturday. The military’s media said the three separate engagements took place in KP’s Tank, North Waziristan, and Thall districts from December 6 to 7. In Tank district, it said troops effectively engaged the terrorists’ location during an intelligence-based operation (IBO) in Gul Imam area on the reported presence of terrorists. Resultantly, 9 terrorists were killed while six got injured, the military’s media wing said. In another operation, security forces successfully neutralised 10 terrorists in North Waziristan. In a third encounter, as per the ISPR, the security forces thwarted terrorists’ attempt to attack a check post in Thall district and killed three more terrorists. However, six soldiers, having fought gallantly, paid the ultimate sacrifice and embraced shahadat during the intense exchange of fire, said the ISPR. It added that sanitisation operations were launched to eliminate any other terrorists found in the area. “Security forces are determined to wipe-out the menace of terrorism and such sacrifices of our brave soldiers further strengthen our resolve,” it concluded. President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday lauded the officers and personnel of security forces for the successful operations against Khawarij terrorists in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. In separate statements, the president and the prime minister commended the professional capabilities of the security forces for killing 9 terrorists in Gul Imam, Tank; 10 in North Waziristan; and three others in Thal District, besides capturing 6 injured militants. The president said eliminating 22 terrorists in various operations was a great achievement of the security forces. President Zardari and PM Shehbaz expressed grief over the martyrdom of 6 security personnel during the operation and prayed for the elevation of the martyrs’ ranks in Jannah and patience for their families to bear the loss with equanimity. “The entire nation, including myself, pays tribute to the security personnel who sacrificed their lives for the motherland,” the prime minister added. The president and the prime minister resolved to continue the fight against the scourge of terrorism until complete eradication. “The entire nation stands shoulder to shoulder with the security forces in this war against terrorism,” they affirmed. 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 1534 in the first three quarters compared to 1523 in 2023.