Security forces killed 13 terrorists in two separate intelligence-based operations (IBOs) in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province on March 30, the military’s media wing said on Wednesday.
According to a statement issued by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the operations were carried out after reports of the presence of terrorists belonging to the Indian proxy Fitna al Khawarij, which is the state-designated term for the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).
According to the ISPR, one operation was conducted in Khyber district, where troops “effectively engaged the khwarijs’ location and after an intense fire exchange, ten khwarij were sent to hell”.
In a separate operation in Bannu district, three terrorists were killed during an exchange of fire, the statement said. “Sanitisation operations were ongoing to eliminate any other Indian-sponsored kharji found in the area,” it added.
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The ISPR said that the counter-terrorism campaign under the vision Azm-e-Istehkam, approved by the Federal Apex Committee on the National Action Plan, “will continue at full pace to wipe out the menace of foreign-sponsored and supported terrorism from the country”.
The Apex Committee of the National Action Plan, chaired by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, in June 2024, approved Operation Azm-e-Istehkam to eliminate terrorism and extremism across the country. The operation aims to eradicate extremism and terrorism decisively and comprehensively.
It will coordinate and align efforts across multiple fronts to address the threats, while intensifying efforts to curb terrorist activities through regional cooperation within the political and diplomatic spheres.
President Asif Ali Zardari and PM Shehbaz have commended security forces for eliminating 13 khawarij in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa.
In separate statements, they reaffirmed the nation’s unwavering resolve to eradicate foreign-backed terrorism.
The president said operations against terrorists would continue to ensure national security and the protection of the people, while the prime minister said the security forces stand like a solid wall against terrorism in defence of the country.
