At least 24 terrorists were killed by security forces in three separate engagements in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, said a statement by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) on Monday.

The ISPR said the KP intelligence-based operations (IBO) were conducted between November 8-9.

During an intelligence-based operation in the general area of Shawal in North Waziristan, eight terrorists were killed by the security forces. “During the conduct of operation, own troops effectively engaged the khwarij location, eight Indian sponsored khwarij were sent to hell,” said the military’s media wing.

In July, the government designated the banned terrorist outfit Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan as Fitna al Khawarij, mandating all institutions to use the term khariji (outcast) when referring to the perpetrators of terrorist attacks on Pakistan.

In the second IBO conducted in the Dara Adam Khel district of the province, 12 terrorists were killed after “an intense fire exchange”.

The military’s media wing added that sanitisation operations were being conducted in the areas to “eliminate any other Indian sponsored kharji found in the area”. It added that under Operation Azm-i-Istehkam, approved by the Federal Apex Committee on National Action Plan, the security forces and law enforcement agencies of Pakistan “will continue at full pace to wipe out the menace of foreign-sponsored and supported terrorism from the country”.

In a later post on X, the ISPR said security forces conducted an IBO in Kalat district on the night of Nov 1 on the reported presence of terrorists belonging to “Indian proxy Fitna al-Hindustan”.

The state has designated Balochistan-based groups as Fitna al-Hindustan to highlight India’s alleged role in terrorism and destabilisation across Pakistan.

“During the conduct of operation, own troops effectively engaged the terrorists’ location and resultantly, four Indian sponsored terrorists were sent to hell.”

The ISPR said weapons and ammunition were also recovered from the slain, who were actively involved in numerous terrorist activities.

It added that sanitisation operations were being conducted to eliminate any other “Indian sponsored terrorist” found in the area.

In June last year, the federal government approved a reinvigorated and re-energised national counter-terrorism campaign, Operation Azm-i-Istehkam.

On Oct 16, security for­ces killed 34 “India-ba­cked” terrorists during multiple operations across KP over the course of three days, the military’s media wing said.

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