RAWALPINDI (MNN); Pakistan’s security forces killed 13 militants during five separate intelligence-based operations in different districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the military’s media wing said on Sunday.
According to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the operations were conducted between March 6 and 7 as part of an ongoing counterterrorism campaign aimed at eliminating militants linked to what authorities describe as the Indian-backed group Fitna Al Khawarij.
In an official statement, ISPR said security forces launched a series of high-tempo intelligence-driven operations across the province. During these engagements, 13 militants were neutralised in five separate encounters.
Fitna Al Khawarij is a term used by the state to refer to militants associated with the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).
The military’s media wing said that five militants were killed during an intelligence-based operation in Bajaur district after an intense exchange of fire between security forces and the militants. Troops effectively targeted and engaged the militant hideout during the operation.
In two additional encounters carried out in Bannu and Dera Ismail Khan districts, security forces successfully eliminated three more militants belonging to the same group.
Meanwhile, in two separate engagements in Khyber and South Waziristan districts, troops killed five additional militants during clashes.
ISPR further stated that weapons and ammunition were recovered from the militants killed during the operations. According to the statement, the militants were involved in several terrorist activities in the region.
The military emphasized that these operations are being carried out simultaneously as Pakistan confronts evolving security challenges along its border with Afghanistan.
“The security forces of Pakistan remain steadfast in their resolve to defend the country’s frontiers and ensure the safety of its citizens,” the ISPR statement added.
Following the operations, sanitisation activities were launched in the affected areas to ensure that no remaining militants linked to the group are present.
The military also reiterated that the ongoing counterterrorism campaign under the national strategy Azm-i-Istehkam will continue with full force. The strategy, approved by the Federal Apex Committee under the National Action Plan, aims to eradicate foreign-sponsored terrorism from the country.
President Asif Ali Zardari praised the security forces for successfully carrying out the operations. In a statement issued by the President’s Secretariat, he commended the professionalism and bravery of the troops involved in the operations in Bajaur, Bannu, Dera Ismail Khan, Khyber, and South Waziristan.
The president noted that operations against Indian-backed militants were essential for ensuring peace and stability in Pakistan.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has experienced a notable rise in militant attacks over the past year. According to the Annual Security Report 2025 released by the Centre for Research and Security Studies (CRSS), the province recorded a sharp increase in violence.
The report stated that fatalities in the province increased from 1,620 in 2024 to 2,331 in 2025, representing an increase of 711 deaths. This accounted for more than 82 percent of the overall rise in violence across the country and reflected nearly a 44 percent year-on-year surge in attacks.
Due to the resurgence of militancy, particularly in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, the government has intensified counterterrorism operations, as attacks frequently target security personnel and law enforcement agencies.
Last month, on February 24, security forces killed 26 militants belonging to Fitna Al Khawarij during four separate engagements in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. In the same period, eight militants from a group referred to by the state as Fitna Al Hindustan were killed during an operation in Sambaza, Balochistan.
The term Fitna Al Hindustan is used by authorities for certain militant groups operating in Balochistan to underline what Pakistan alleges is India’s involvement in supporting terrorism and destabilisation efforts.
Earlier on February 23, security forces killed four militants in Dera Ismail Khan and five more, including a suicide bomber, in Pishin district of Balochistan.
These operations were carried out shortly after a suicide attack in Bannu during an intelligence-based operation that resulted in the martyrdom of a lieutenant colonel and a sepoy.
