Security forces killed eight terrorists during an intelligence-based operation (IBO) in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Dera Ismail Khan, security sources said on Sunday, according to state-run Radio Pakistan.

The terrorists were identified as those belonging to Fitna-al-Khawarij — a term the state uses for terrorists belonging to the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan — the Radio Pakistan report said.

Security sources said that three key terrorist commanders were among those killed and foreign currency and a large quantity of arms and ammunition was found in the possession of the slain terrorists.

The IBO was a part of the Azm-i-Istehkam operation, the report added.

Operation Azm-i-Istehkam was launched in June 2024, symbolising the national resolve to eradicate extremism and terrorism from the country.

President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif commended security forces for timely and effective action in DI Khan.

PM Shehbaz said in a statement that the Pakistani nation stood shoulder to shoulder with the security forces in the war against terrorism, Radio Pakistan reported.

In a separate statement, President Asif Ali Zardari said the nefarious designs of “terrorists operating under foreign patronage and with the support of local facilitators will never be allowed to succeed”.

KP has been witnessing terrorist attacks and security challenges for a long time. The province, excluding the merged districts, recorded 54 terrorist attacks in August compared with 36 in July, representing an increase of 50 per cent, according to data compiled by the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS).

In response to these incidents, security forces have been conducting operations in various parts of the province.

On Saturday, state media reported that security forces had killed five Fitna al Khawarij terrorists during an IBO in KP’s South Waziristan district.

On Friday, seven terrorists were killed in the Eidak area of KP’s North Waziristan district during an IBO.

On Wednesday, security forces killed three terrorists in an IBO in KP’s Mir Ali. A day before that, in an IBO in KP’s Bara area, security forces killed five terrorists. On Monday, four terrorists were killed during an IBO in DI Khan.

On Sept 17, security forces killed 10 terrorists in separate operations in KP between Sept 15 and 17. Earlier in the month, over 20 terrorists were killed during multiple engagements in KP between Sept 3 and 5.

On Sept 18, a major attack in the old Police Lines in KP’s Kohat claimed 23 lives and injured about 100 others. Eight terrorists were killed during an overnight clearance operation.

On September 26 in DI Khan, 14 people, including two rescue officials, were martyred and 35 sustained injuries after a suicide bomber rammed an explosive-laden vehicle into a police checkpost and then targeted an ambulance shifting bodies to hospital.