Six suspected terrorists were killed by the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) in two separate intelligence-based operations.

According to two separate press releases issued by the CTD late Tuesday night, the suspected terrorists belonged to Fitna al-Khawarij — a term the state uses for terrorists belonging to the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan.

The first statement said the Kohat CTD received information from sources, indicating that terrorists were hatching a plot and had established a checkpoint on the Shakardara Road in an attempt to obstruct the movement of law enforcement personnel.

The statement said that upon receiving the information, a Special Weapons and Tactics (Swat) team reached the location, at which the “terrorists opened indiscriminate fire on the CTD personnel”.

“In the ensuing exchange of fire, three Fitna al-Khawarij terrorists were killed. Three Kalashnikovs, nine magazines and multiple rounds of ammunition from their possession,” the statement said, adding that other accomplices had managed to flee the scene.

A separate press release said that the Mardan CTD received information that a “group of Fitna al-Khawarij terrorists was moving from Mohmand district into Charsadda for carrying out terrorist activities”.

“Taking immediate action on this information, teams were deployed to arrest the terrorists by laying an ambush at Shabqadar, Charsadda,” the statement said.

However, the terrorists opened fire on the CTD personnel, leading to an “intense exchange of fire”, the statement said. Once it was over, a search operation was conducted and three terrorists were discovered dead, it said.

“The slain terrorists included Hayat Khan alias Hayatullah, Asim and Aminullah alias Muawiya alias Qari,” the statement said.

“According to preliminary investigations, the terrorists were wanted in multiple terrorism and targeted killing cases,” the statement said.

It added that the first was a proclaimed offender and wanted in the targeted killing of religious scholar Maulana Izzatullah, while the second was allegedly involved in attacks targeting police personnel and religious leaders in Khyber district.

The statement said that officials recovered three Kalashnikovs and hand grenades from the terrorists, adding that a search operation was ongoing to apprehend those who had escaped.