Security forces killed 13 terrorists in two separate engagements in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, said a statement by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) on Wednesday.

The military’s media wing said the engagement took place on March 30 and the terrorists belonged 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.

During the first intelligence-based operation (IBO) conducted in the Bara area of Khyber district, security forces killed 10 terrorists.

“During the conduct of operation, own troops effectively engaged khawarij location and after an intense fire exchange, 10 khawarij were sent to hell,” said the ISPR.

In another IBO conducted in the Bannu district of the province, three terrorists were killed by security forces.

“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 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.”

President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif commended the security forces for eliminating 13 terrorists, state-run Radio Pakistan reported.

In their separate statements, they expressed unwavering national resolve to completely eliminate “foreign-backed terrorism”, the report said.

President Zardari asserted that operations against the terrorists will continue to ensure national security and the protection of the people.

PM Shehbaz said security forces were like a solid wall against terrorism for the country’s protection.

KP has seen a rise in terrorist attacks in the past year.

According to the Annual Security Report 2025 from the Centre for Research and Security Studies (CRSS), KP recorded a significant surge in violence last year as “fatalities rose from 1,620 in 2024 to 2,331 in 2025”.

Due to a resurgence of militancy, especially in KP and Balochistan, where attacks often target security personnel and LEAs, the state has intensified counter-terrorism operations.

On March 15, security forces killed five terrorists during an IBO in Lakki Marwat.

A week before that, 13 terrorists were eliminated in five separate operations across KP.