ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s security forces killed 13 militants in two intelligence-based operations in the country’s northwest Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province this week, the military said on Sunday.
In a statement, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the military’s media wing, said an operation was conducted in Mohmand district after reports of militant presence.
“During the conduct of the operation, own troops effectively engaged the khwarij location and, as a result of an intense fire exchange, seven khwarij were effectively neutralized,” the statement said.
Islamabad uses the term “khwarij” to refer to the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), drawing on a historical reference to an extremist sect in early Islamic history that rejected state authority.
In a separate operation in Bannu district, security forces killed six more militants. “In another intelligence-based operation conducted in Bannu District, six more khwarij were effectively neutralized by security forces,” the ISPR said.
The military added that follow-up clearance efforts were underway.
“Sanitization operations are being conducted to eliminate any other khwarij found in the area,” the statement said.
Militant violence has risen sharply in KP since the Taliban returned to power in Afghanistan in 2021, with armed groups targeting security convoys, checkpoints, and government officials through attacks, kidnappings, and targeted killings.
Pakistan has repeatedly stated that militant groups, including Fitna Al Khwarij, are operating from sanctuaries across the Afghan border and have been receiving foreign sponsorship to carry out terrorist attacks inside Pakistan.
Islamabad has consistently conveyed these concerns to the Afghan interim authorities, urging them to take decisive action. Despite Pakistan’s sustained diplomatic engagement and restraint, repeated cross-border incidents have led to heightened tensions between the two countries.
The ISPR said the latest operations were part of Pakistan’s ongoing counterterrorism campaign under the “Azm-e-Istehkam” initiative. The campaign was approved by the Federal Apex Committee under the National Action Plan and is aimed at eliminating what the military describes as “foreign-sponsored and supported militancy” from the country.
