Security forces killed four terrorists in separate engagements across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the military’s media wing said in a statement on Wednesday.

According to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), multiple intelligence-based operations (IBO) were carried out between November 17 and 18, with the dead terrorists belonging to Indian proxy Fitna al Khawarij.

Fitna al Khawarij is a term the state uses for terrorists belonging to the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).

“On [the] reported presence of khwarij, an intelligence-based operation was conducted by the security forces in Bajaur district,” the statement read. “During the conduct of [the] operation, own troops effectively engaged the khwarij location and after an intense fire exchange, one kharji was sent to hell.”

The ISPR said that two more terrorists were killed in IBOs conducted in the areas of Spinwam and Zakir Khel in North Waziristan, while another terrorist was killed in an IBO in Dera Ismail Khan District.

“Weapons and ammunition were also recovered from Indian sponsored killed khwarij, who remained actively involved in numerous terrorist activities in these areas,” the statement added.

“Sanitisation operations are being conducted to eliminate any other Indian sponsored kharji found in the area, as [the] relentless counter-terrorism campaign under vision ‘Azm e Istehkam’ (as approved by Federal Apex Committee on National Action Plan) by security forces and law enforcement agencies of Pakistan will continue at full pace to wipe out menace of foreign sponsored and supported terrorism from the country.”

Yesterday, the ISPR said that 38 terrorists had been killed in counter-terrorism operations carried out from November 15-17 in KP.

The first IBO was conducted by security forces in the Kulachi area of Dera Ismail Khan district, the ISPR said, adding that troops effectively engaged the terrorists’ location. As a result, ten terrorists, including kharji ringleader Alam Mehsud, were killed, it said.

In another IBO conducted in Datta Khel in North Waziristan district, troops killed five more terrorists, the ISPR said.

In a separate statement later in the day, the ISPR said two IBOs took place between November 16-17 in Bajaur district and Bannu district, killing 11 and 12 terrorists, respectively. It added that terrorist ringleader Sajjad alias Abuzar was also killed in the Bajaur IBO.

Pakistan has witnessed a surge in terror activities, particularly in KP and Balochistan. The spike in incidents followed the TTP ending a ceasefire with the government in November 2022 and vowing to attack security forces, police, and personnel of law enforcement agencies.

Last month, the Islamabad-based think tank Centre for Research and Security Studies said that violence had surged over the past three months due to a spike in militant attacks and intensified counter-terrorism operations.