Seven terrorists were killed on Monday during an intelligence-based operation (IBO) in the Sambaza sector of Balochistan’s Zhob district, near the Pak-Afghan border, the army’s media wing said.

According to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), army troops “effectively surrounded and engaged fleeing terrorists” during an exchange of fire.

As a result, seven militants were killed, it added. The ISPR said that the militants “remained actively involved in terrorist activities against security forces as well as killing of innocent civilians”.

It added that arms, ammunition, and explosives were also recovered from the terrorists.

“Sanitisation operation is being carried out to eliminate any other terrorists present in the area. Security forces of Pakistan are determined to eliminate the menace of terrorism,” the ISPR said.

On January 13, four militants including a “high-value terrorist” were killed in two separate operations in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. A day prior, security forces had also killed two terrorists in an IBO in the province’s North Waziristan district.

Pakistan has witnessed an uptick in terror activities in the past year, especially in KP and Balochistan after the banned militant Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan ended its ceasefire with the government in November 2022.

According to an annual security report issued by the Centre for Research and Security Studies, Pakistan witnessed 1,524 violence-related fatalities and 1,463 injuries from 789 terror attacks and counter-terror operations in 2023 — marking a record six-year high.

KP and Balochistan were the primary centres of violence, accounting for over 90 per cent of all fatalities and 84pc of attacks, including incidents of terrorism and security forces operations.