At least five terrorists were killed in an intelligence-based operation by security forces in the Mir Ali area of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s North Waziristan District, according to a statement by the military’s media affairs wing on Saturday.

The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said the forces conducted an operation in the Mir Ali area on the reported presence of terrorists.

“An intense exchange of fire took place during the operation and five terrorists, including their commander, Rahzaib Khuray, were sent to hell,” the statement added.

It said the slain terrorists remained actively involved in numerous terrorist activities against security forces as well as extortion and targeted killings of civilians. “Weapons and ammunition were also recovered during the operation.”

According to the ISPR, the locals of the area appreciated the operation.

“Sanitisation operation is being carried out to eliminate any other terrorist found in the area as the security forces are determined to wipe out the menace of terrorism from the country,” the military said.

Pakistan has witnessed an uptick in terror activities in recent months, especially in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, after the banned militant Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan ended its ceasefire with the government last year.

Earlier this month, as many as 25 soldiers of the Pakistan Army embraced martyrdom in two separate incidents on a single day, including a terrorist attack in Dera Ismail Khan, claiming lives of 23 soldiers and a military operation in the Kolachi and Dara­zi­nda areas of the KP that saw two army personnel losing their lives.

That was the military’s highest single-day death toll from terrorist attacks reported this year. Before this, as many as 12 soldiers of the Pakistan Army were martyred in separate military operations in the Zhob and Sui areas of Balochistan.

According to statistics released by the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS) regarding suicide attacks in 2023, the country witnessed the highest number of suicide attacks since 2014 during this year, with nearly half of them targeting the security forces.

As many as 48 per cent of deaths and 58pc of injuries were inflicted upon security forces personnel. “A staggering 29 suicide attacks were reported, resulting in the tragic loss of 329 lives and leaving 582 individuals injured.

Comparing the data to the preceding year, 2022, report reveals a distressing 93pc increase in the number of suicide attacks, a shocking 226pc rise in resultant deaths, and a troubling 101pc surge in the number of injured individuals.