A terrorist was killed by security forces during an intelligence-based operation (IBO) in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Dera Ismail Khan district, the military’s media affairs wing said on Tuesday.

According to a statement issued by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), an intense exchange of fire took place between the security forces and terrorists during the operation.

“As a result, terrorist Muhammad Sohail was sent to hell,” it said.

The slain terrorist remained “actively involved in numerous terrorist activities against law enforcement agencies as well as target killings of innocent civilians”, the ISPR said.

“A sanitization operation is being conducted to wipe out 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, the ISPR statement added.

Last week, a sepoy embraced martyrdom and nine militants — including a highly wanted terrorist — were killed in two different IBPOs carried out by security forces in KP’s Tank and South Waziristan.

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.