The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said on Tuesday that 38 terrorists were killed in four separate intelligence-based operations (IBOs) conducted over a period of three days in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
In a statement, the military’s media affairs said that the operations were carried out between November 15 and 16, adding that the terrorists belonged to Indian proxy Fitna al Khawarij.
Fitna al Khawarij is a term the state uses for terrorists belonging to the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).
The first IBO was conducted by security forces in the Kulachi area of Dera Ismail Khan district, the ISPR said, adding that troops effectively engaged the terrorists’ location. As a result, ten terrorists, including kharji ringleader Alam Mehsud, were killed, it said.
In another IBO conducted in Datta Khel in North Waziristan district, troops killed five more terrorists, the ISPR said.
In a separate statement later in the day, the ISPR said two IBOs took place between November 16-17 in Bajaur district and Bannu district, killing 11 and 12 terrorists, respectively.
It added that terrorist ringleader Sajjad alias Abuzar was also killed in the Bajaur IBO.
The ISPR said that sanitisation operations were being conducted to eliminate any other “Indian-sponsored” terrorists found in the area, asserting that the counter terrorism campaign by security forces and law enforcement agencies would continue to “wipe out the menace of foreign-sponsored and supported terrorism from the country”.
Earlier in Bannu, a man lost his life when a blast occurred near the Dawapul area in the jurisdiction of Basia Khel Police Station on Tuesday. Soon after receiving the report, a heavy contingent of police and bomb disposal squad personnel rushed to the spot and found a dead body lying near a motorcycle.
Evidence was collected to determine the type of explosion that occurred. The body lying at the scene was also being seen to indicate that the bomber was not riding the motorcycle.
President Asif Ali Zardari paid tribute to the security forces for the successful operations. In a statement, he said that work would continue on eliminating foreign-backed terrorists with national consensus.
He attributed the killing of the terrorist ringleader to the successful strategy of the security forces. He further said that political moves to divert attention from the national consensus on terrorism would not be tolerated.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also paid tribute to the security forces. “Under the vision of Azm-i-Istehkam, security forces are achieving great successes against terrorism,” he said in a statement.
“We are determined to completely eradicate all forms of terrorism from the country,” he said.
Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi praised security forces for successful operations against fitna al-Khwarij in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. In a statement, Mohsin Naqvi praised the professionalism of the security forces for killing 15 Indian-sponsored terrorists.
I pay tribute to the security forces for bringing 15 Indian-sponsored terrorists to an exemplary end, Mohsin Naqvi said. He said the brave security forces have once again thwarted the nefarious intentions of Indian-sponsored terrorists. Mohsin Naqvi said the nation appreciates the actions of the security forces for establishing peace in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Operations will continue until the complete elimination of terrorists, Mohsin Naqvi said.
Last week, the ISPR said at least 24 terrorists were killed by security forces in three separate engagements in KP and Balochistan.