Two terrorists were killed in an intelligence-based operation in the Janikhel area of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Bannu district, state broadcaster Radio Pakistan quoted the military’s media affairs wing as saying on Wednesday.

According to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the slain terrorists “remained actively involved in terrorist activities against security forces and innocent citizens”.

Weapons and ammunition were found in the terrorists’ possession, the statement said, adding that “locals of the area appreciated the security forces’ operation and assured [them] of their full support in eliminating the menace of terrorism”.

The Bannu operation comes amid a surge in terrorist activities across the country, especially in KP and Balochistan, since the outlawed militant group Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan ended its ceasefire with the government in November.

Earlier this month, six Pakistan Army soldiers were martyred during an exchange of fire with militants in the Dir Duni area of KP’s North Waziristan district.

In his maiden press briefing last month, ISPR Director General Maj Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry said that at least 293 people were martyred and 521 were injured in 436 terrorist incidents over the past year.

In KP, 192 people were martyred in 219 terror activities, while 80 people lost lives in 206 incidents in Balochistan, 14 people in five attacks in Punjab, and seven in six terrorism incidents across Sindh.

He had said that the army and law enforcement agencies carried out 8,269 intelligence-based operations during the previous year in which 1,378 suspected terrorists were apprehended and 157 were killed.

The DG ISPR had also said that overall 137 security personnel were martyred and 117 injured in anti-terror operations in the ongoing year.