10 terrorists, including high-value target, eliminated in DI Khan, Balochistan operations: ISPR

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Image showing Pakistan Army soldiers sitting in a van. — Reuters/ File
Image showing Pakistan Army soldiers sitting in a van. — Reuters/ File

Security forces neutralised 10 terrorists, including a high-value target, in separate intelligence-based operations (IBO) in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Dera Ismail Khan district and Balochistan‘s Kalat district, the military’s media affairs wing said in separate statements on Thursday.

On December 24, (yesterday) two khawarij were killed in an IBO in DI Khan‘s Kulachi area, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said in Thursday’s statement, using the term designating members of the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan.

“During the conduct of [the] operation, own troops effectively engaged the khawarij location. Resultantly, two khawarij, including kharji ring leader Dilawar, were sent to hell,” the statement read.

According to the ISPR, Dilawar was wanted by law enforcement agencies due to his involvement in terrorist activity and the government had put an Rs4 million bounty on him.

The statement added that weapons and ammunition were recovered from the dead terrorists, who remained actively involved in terrorist activities against the security forces and civilians.

In a separate statement, the ISPR said security forces conducted an IBO in Kalat on December 24 (yesterday) on the reported presence of terrorists belonging to Indian proxy Fitna al Hindustan.

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

It said that during the operation, security forces effectively engaged the terrorists’ location and, after an intense exchange of fire, eight Indian-sponsored terrorists were killed.

“Weapons, ammunition and explosives were also recovered from the terrorists, who remained actively involved in numerous terrorist activities in the area,” ISPR said.

It said that a sanitisation operation was being conducted to eliminate any other Indian-sponsored terrorists found in the area, adding that the counterterrorism campaign by security forces and law enforcement agencies would continue at full pace to wipe out “foreign-sponsored and supported terrorism from the country”.

Earlier this month, 12 terrorists were killed during an IBO in Kalat.

In March, Pakistan ranked second in the Global Terrorism Index 2025, with the number of deaths in terrorist attacks rising by 45 per cent as compared to the previous year.

In October, the Islamabad-based think tank Centre for Research and Security Studies said that violence had surged in the third quarter of 2025 due to a spike in militant attacks and intensified counter-terrorism operations.

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