Security forces killed nine terrorists in an intelligence-based operation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s North Waziristan, state media reported on Wednesday.

According to state-run Pakistan TV, IBOs were carried out in several areas of North Waziristan, including Palangzai, Nadeem Kot, and Kot Khazri, eliminating nine Fitna al-Khwarij terrorists, including four “important terrorist commanders”.

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

It added that several hideouts were destroyed and a large quantity of weapons and ammunition was recovered from the slain terrorists.

KP has long faced security challenges. In August, the province, excluding the merged districts, recorded 54 terrorist attacks 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).

A day earlier, security forces killed 13 terrorists in another IBO in North Waziristan. On Tuesday, in yet another North Waziristan IBO, security forces killed five terrorists, state media said, while seven were killed on October 2.

On September 30, security forces killed three terrorists in an IBO in Mir Ali. A day before that, in an IBO in the Bara area, security forces killed five terrorists. On Sept 28, four terrorists were killed during an IBO in Dera Ismail Khan.

On Sept 26, a dozen people lost their lives while 35 others were injured in a suicide blast that targeted the Aman Mela police checkpost in DI Khan’s Darazinda tehsil. On Sept 18, a major attack in the old Police Lines in Kohat claimed 23 lives and injured about 100 others.

Eight terrorists were killed during an overnight clearance operation. On Sept 17, security forces killed 10 terrorists in separate operations in KP between Sept 15 and 17. Earlier that month, over 20 terrorists were killed during multiple engagements in KP between Sept 3 and 5.