Security forces killed at least five terrorists belonging to Indian proxy, Fitna al Khawarij, in two separate intelligence-based operations in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province on June 15 and 16, the military’s media wing said on Monday.
According to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), four terrorists were killed during a raid in Peshawar district after troops surrounded a location reportedly harbouring Indian-sponsored Khawarij.
“After an intense fire exchange, four Indian-sponsored Khwarij, including Kharji Haris and Kharji Baseer, were sent to hell,” the statement said.
In a second operation in North Waziristan, another terrorist was killed in a gun battle with troops. The military said weapons, ammunition, and explosives were recovered from the terrorists, who had been involved in “numerous terrorist activities” in the region.
Sanitisation operations were launched in both areas to eliminate any remaining threats, the statement added. “The security forces of Pakistan are determined to wipe out the menace of Indian-sponsored terrorism from the country,” ISPR said.
President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif lauded the security forces for what they described as a successful operation against Fitna al Khawarij.
“Operations against Fitna al Khawarij will continue till complete elimination of terrorism from the country,” said President Zardari. Premier Sharif said, “Anti-human terrorists will have to pay a heavy price for endangering the lives and property of innocent people.”
Separately, two people were killed and 11 others injured on Monday when a bomb planted in a motorcycle exploded in Balochistan’s Barkhan district, officials said.
Barkhan Deputy Commissioner Abdullah Khosa told the media, “The explosive material was planted in a motorcycle parked in the main market of Rakhni, Barkhan district. It resulted in the death of two people and injured 11 others.”
Four of the injured were in critical condition and were immediately taken to a hospital Dera Ghazi Khan for treatment, Khosa said.
He added that nearby shops, buildings, and one car were also damaged by the blast.
“An emergency has been imposed in all hospitals across Barkhan following the blast, while police, Levies and Frontier Corps (FC) personnel reached the site of the incident and began collecting evidence,” he said, adding that law enforcement agencies have also cordoned off the area and begun a search for the suspects
A similar incident occurred in March when four people were killed and five others were injured when an improvised explosive device (IED) attached to a motorbike went off in a market in Balochistan’s Khuzdar district.
Police said the explosive was attached to a motorcycle and detonated remotely after the bike was parked beside a car.
Meanwhile, the DC visited the injured in Rakhni hospital and chaired an emergency meeting with doctors and medical staff, according to a statement from his office.
Khosa also inspected the Counter-Terrorism Department and Levies personnel and received a briefing. He instructed the relevant agencies to further tighten security and complete the investigation promptly.