RAWALPINDI (MNN); Security forces killed 13 terrorists in two separate intelligence-based operations in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on January 13 and 14, the military’s media wing said on Thursday.
According to a statement issued by Inter-Services Public Relations, the slain militants belonged to Indian proxy Fitna-al-Khawarij, a term used by the state for the proscribed Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan.
ISPR said one operation was conducted in Bannu district on confirmed intelligence regarding the presence of terrorists. During the operation, security forces effectively engaged the militants’ hideout and, following an intense exchange of fire, eight terrorists were neutralised.
In a separate intelligence-based operation in Kurram district, security forces engaged another group of militants. As a result of the fire exchange, five terrorists were killed.
The statement added that sanitisation operations are ongoing to eliminate any remaining Indian-sponsored militants in the area. ISPR said Pakistan’s security forces and law enforcement agencies will continue their relentless counter-terrorism campaign under the vision of Azm-i-Istehkam, approved by the federal apex committee on the National Action Plan, to eradicate foreign-sponsored terrorism from the country.
Earlier this week, security forces had killed four terrorists during an intelligence-based operation in Balochistan’s Kalat district.
Pakistan continues to face serious security challenges, with militant violence increasing sharply in 2025. According to a report by the Islamabad-based Pak Institute for Peace Studies, terrorist attacks rose by 34 percent last year, while terrorism-related fatalities increased by 21 percent compared to the previous year.
Addressing a press conference last week, ISPR Director General Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry said Pakistan’s law enforcement agencies, including the army, police, Federal Constabulary and intelligence services, carried out a total of 75,175 intelligence-based operations in 2025.
He said 14,658 operations were conducted in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 58,778 in Balochistan and 1,739 in other parts of the country. He added that 5,397 terror incidents were reported nationwide in 2025, including 3,811 in KP, 1,557 in Balochistan and 29 in other regions.
