Security forces killed nine terrorists during an intelligence-based operation (IBO) in the Takwara area of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Dera Ismail Khan district, the military’s media wing said on Monday.

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

According to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), security personnel carried out the IBO on the night of April 6-7 on the reported presence of khwarij.

Fitna Al Khawarij is a term the state uses to refer to the banned TTP.

The statement said, “During [the] conduct of the operation, [our] own troops effectively engaged the khwarij location and after an intense fire exchange, nine khwarij including HVT (high-value target), kharji ring leader Shireen were sent to hell.”

The forces also recovered weapons and ammunition from the terrorists, it added.

The statement further said that the terrorist leader was wanted by law enforcement agencies “due to his involvement in numerous terrorist activities” and “being involved in target killing of numerous innocent civilians”.

He was also responsible for the martydom of Captain Hasnain Akhtar on March 20, the statement added.

The ISPR said, “Today’s operation has avenged the heinous act and has brought the main perpetrator to justice.”

The statement further read that a “sanitisation operation” was being conducted to eliminate any other terrorists in the area, adding, “[The] security forces of Pakistan are determined to wipe out the menace of terrorism from the country.”

A day earlier, security forces killed eight terrorists and injured another four as they thwarted an infiltration attempt on the Pakistan-Afghanistan border in North Waziristan.

Last month, the government had ruled out a fresh military operation amid a surge in terrorist attacks, especially in KP and Balochistan.

Militant violence and security operations intensified in the country in March, with the number of militant attacks surpassing 100 for the first time since November 2014, according to data released by the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (Picss).

In KP, at least 206 people were killed — including 49 security personnel, 34 civilians, and 123 militants — while 115 were injured, with 63 security personnel and 49 civilians among them, the Picss report said.

President, PM laud forces for successful IBO

President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif commended security forces for the successful operation against terrorists in Dera Ismail Khan, state media Radio Pakistan reported.

In a statement, President Zardari said that the security forces will continue operations until the complete eradication of terrorism. He said that the resolve to eliminate terrorist elements and ensure the country’s defence will remain unwavering.

PM Shehbaz said that the entire nation stands by the security forces in the war against terrorism. He expressed the commitment to completely eradicate terrorism from the country.