Security forces killed 22 terrorists in an intelligence-based operation (IBO) in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Dera Ismail Khan district, the military’s media affairs wing said on Thursday.

The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said that the operation was conducted based on the reported presence of terrorists belonging to Indian Proxy Fitna al Khwarij.

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

“During the conduct of [the] operation, own troops effectively engaged the khawarij location and after an intense fire exchange, 22 khawarij were sent to hell,” the ISPR stated.

“Sanitisation operation is being conducted to eliminate any other Indian-sponsored kharji found in the area, as the relentless counter-terrorism campaign under vision ‘Azm-i-Istehkam’ (as approved by the Federal Apex Committee on National Action Plan) by 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,” the statement read.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif paid tribute to the security forces for the successful operation.

On Tuesday, 22 terrorists were killed during an IBO in Bannu, the ISPR said in a statement.

“During the conduct of the operation, own troops effectively engaged the khawarij location and after an intense fire exchange, 22 khawarij were sent to hell,” the statement said.

Pakistan has witnessed an uptick in terror activities, especially in KP and Balochistan, after the TTP ended its ceasefire with the government in November 2022.