PESHAWAR: At least 27 militants were killed and several others wounded in encounters with security personnel in different parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, sources said on Wednesday.

They said an intelligence-based operation was carried out on the reported presence of nearly two dozen terrorists in Kurram district’s Manato and Marzai areas, sources said, adding that they were hiding in a residential area and planted explosives in a house. During the operation, they said, 22 militants were killed, while there were reports about some security personnel being injured due to an explosion, though locals remained unhurt.

No official statement was issued by the ISPR on developments in Kurram.

However, the military’s media wing, in a post on X, stated on Wednesday night that in a failed attempt to target innocent civilians in Bannu, an Indian-sponsored terrorist got eliminated while planting an improvised explosive device.

The ISPR said: “The incident highlights the growing desperation of the khwarij, who, due to sustained and effective pressure from security forces and law enforcement agencies, were increasingly resorting to cowardly attempts against soft targets. Their failed actions reflect their diminishing capabilities and frustration in the face of ongoing counter terrorism efforts.”

Earlier, the military’s media wing said that security forces carried out intelligence-based operations (IBO) on the reported presence of, what the official statement said Fitna al Khwarij, in Bajaur, North Waziristan and Dera Ismail Khan disttricts on Nov 17 and 18.

It said troops effectively engaged a terrorist’s location in Bajaur. After an intense exchange of fire, one terrorist was killed. It read that more militants were neutralised in an IBO conducted in the Spinwam and Zakir Khel areas of North Waziristan district, while another terrorist was killed in Dera Ismail Khan.

In Lakki Marwat, two militants were killed in an exchange of fire with counterterrorism department (CTD) personnel, police said.

A statement issued by CTD said the militants were killed during an intelligence-based operation carried out in Sraye Norang area of the district. It explained the militants opened fire on the CTD team as soon as they saw them. The CTD team retaliated and killed two militants, later identified as Mohammad Sohail and Azmatullah alias Hafiz.

Published in Dawn, November 20th, 2025