Two terrorists were killed by security forces in an intelligence-based operation in the Ramzak area of North Waziristan district, the military’s media wing said on Wednesday.

According to a statement issued by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the operation was conducted on the reported presence of terrorists on the night of August 14/15.

While carrying out the operation, security forces surrounded the terrorists’ location and after an intense exchange of fire, “two terrorists were sent to hell”, the ISPR said.

Weapons and ammunition were recovered from the slain terrorists, the statement said, adding that they “remained actively involved in terrorist activities against security forces as well as extortion and target killing of innocent citizens”.

Sanitisation of the area was being carried out to eliminate any other terrorists found in the area, it said.

“Locals of the area appreciated the operation and expressed their full support to eliminate the menace of terrorism,” said the army’s media affairs wing.

The security operation comes as Pakistan faces an uptick in terror activities, especially in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, after the outlawed TTP ended its ceasefire with the government in November last year.

On August 12, two people were killed in what police described were targeted attacks in North Waziristan. On August 8, two policemen were among four people killed in separate attacks in North Waziristan and Peshawar.

Last month, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa police said 665 militant attacks, including 15 suicide bombings, were reported in the province between June 18, 2022, and June 18, 2023.

A report released in July by think tank Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies said the first half of the current year witnessed a steady and alarming rise in terror and suicide attacks, claiming the lives of 389 people across the country.

In a press conference in June, Inter-Services Public Relations Director General Maj Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry said that the security forces conducted 13,619 intelligence operations this year in which 1,172 terrorists were killed or arrested.