Security forces killed 54 terrorists attempting to infiltrate through the Pakistan-Afghanistan border in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s North Waziristan district, the military’s media wing said in a statement on Sunday.

According to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), this is the highest-ever number of khwarij killed by security forces in a single engagement throughout the campaign against terrorism.

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.

“On night 25/26 and 26/27 April 2025, [the] movement of a large group of khwarij, who were trying to infiltrate through Pakistan-Afghanistan border, was detected by the security forces in [the] general area [of] Hassan Khel, North Waziristan District.

“[Our] own troops effectively engaged and thwarted their attempt to infiltrate. As a result of precise and skilful engagement, all fifty-four khawarij have been sent to hell,” the statement added.

The ISPR added that a large cache of weapons, ammunition and explosives was also recovered from the slain khawarij, a term the state uses to refer to terrorists.

“Intelligence reports indicate that this group of khawarij was specifically infiltrating on [the] behest of their ‘foreign masters’ to undertake high-profile terrorist activities inside Pakistan”, the ISPR statement read.

Referring to India’s “baseless accusations against Pakistan”, it added that such actions by Fitna al Khwarij — a term the state uses to refer to the banned TTP — “clearly implies on whose cues FAK (Fitna al Khwarij) is operating”.

“Such actions amount to treason and betrayal against the state and its citizens,” said the press release.

Mentioning the National Security Council meeting that took place earlier this week to discuss a response to India downgrading diplomatic ties with Pakistan, including the suspension of the Indus Water Treaty, the ISPR highlighted how “distracting Pakistan’s security forces from their focus on the war against terror seems to be the strategic intent of India to allow a breathing space to FAK which is reeling from the onslaught of our Armed Forces resolute offensive against them”.

The ISPR commended “the exceptional professionalism, vigilance, [and] preparedness” demonstrated by security forces in preventing a “potential catastrophe”.

It asserted that the security forces of Pakistan “remain resolute and unwavering in their commitment to defend the nation’s frontiers and to eradicate the menace of terrorism.”

“Such bold and decisive actions further strengthen our collective resolve and underscore that Pakistan is winning the war against terrorism while achieving significant successes against terrorists”, the press release said.

On Saturday, the ISPR said that two soldiers were martyred and 15 terrorists killed in three separate engagements in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

A statement said the intelligence-based operations (IBO) were conducted on Friday and Saturday, and that eight terrorists were “sent to hell” after troops engaged them at their location during an IBO in Karak district.

Four more were killed by the security forces in another IBO in North Waziristan district, the military’s media wing stated. It added that troops “successfully neutralised” three more terrorists in another encounter in the South Waziristan district’s general area of Gomal Zam.

“However, during the intense fire exchange, two brave sons of soil, Lance Naik Usman Mohmand (age: 28 years, resident of Charsadda district) and Sepoy Imran Khan (age: 26 years, resident of Kurram district) having fought gallantly, paid the ultimate sacrifice and embraced martyrdom,” the ISPR said.

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

Pakistan ranked second in the Global Terrorism Index 2025, with the number of deaths in terrorist attacks rising by 45 per cent over the past year to 1,081.