Security forces killed 43 terrorists during intelligence-based operations (IBOs) in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Mir Ali and Orakzai areas, said a statement by the military’s media wing on Friday.

The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), in a breakdown of the casualties, said 35 terrorists were killed in Mir Ali, North Waziristan district, while eight others were killed in Orakzai Agency.

“In a determined effort to eliminate terrorist threats and dismantle the khwarij networks, security forces are conducting a series of intelligence-based operations in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. These operations have been further expanded to the areas of Mir Ali and Orakzai,” said ISPR.

Elaborating further, the military’s media wing said that “intense and fierce exchanges of fire” took place, dealing a “significant blow” to the networks operated by the khwarij in the areas.

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

A large cache of weapons, ammunition and explosives, including homemade explosives and improvised explosive devices (IEDs), was also recovered during sanitisation, the military’s media wing said, adding that the recoveries had thwarted the “nefarious designs” of the terrorists to use the materials in terrorist activities.

The ISPR further said that sanitisation operations continue in the areas to “eliminate holed up khwarij”.

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