RAWALPINDI (MNN); Security forces killed nine terrorists during two separate intelligence-based operations carried out in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the military’s media wing said on Sunday.
According to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the operations were conducted on December 19, 2025, against terrorists belonging to Indian proxy fitna al khwarij in different areas of the province.
The ISPR said the first intelligence-based operation was launched in Dera Ismail Khan district following reports about the presence of terrorists. During the operation, security personnel effectively engaged the hideout, resulting in a fierce exchange of fire that left four terrorists dead.
In the second operation, carried out in Bannu district, troops engaged another group of terrorists. After an intense firefight, five more militants were neutralised by the security forces.
The military’s media wing said arms and ammunition were recovered from the slain terrorists, who had been actively involved in multiple terrorist activities, including attacks on security forces, law enforcement agencies, and the targeted killing of innocent civilians.
The ISPR added that sanitisation operations are ongoing in the affected areas to eliminate any remaining Indian-sponsored militants. It said the counterterrorism campaign under the vision of “Azm e Istehkam”, approved by the Federal Apex Committee under the National Action Plan, would continue at full pace to eradicate the menace of foreign-sponsored terrorism from the country.
Earlier this year, Pakistan was ranked second in the Global Terrorism Index 2025, which reported a 45 percent increase in deaths from terrorist attacks compared to the previous year. The index, published by the Institute for Economics and Peace, analyses global terrorism trends over the past 17 years.
Last week, security forces had killed 13 terrorists in separate operations in Mohmand and Bannu districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
