Pakistan's security forces eliminated five terrorists and apprehended two during three intelligence-based operations (IBOs) across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) confirmed on Saturday.
According to the military’s media wing, the operations were launched in response to confirmed reports of terrorist presence in Bajaur, North Waziristan, and Mohmand districts. These areas have seen a spike in militant activity over the past year, especially following the collapse of a ceasefire agreement with the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) in November 2022.
The ISPR utilized the word "Khwarij"—a word that the state has used to refer to terrorists—"Five Khwarij were sent to hell, while two others were apprehended."
During the initial operation, which was carried out in Bajaur District, troops fought an intense gun battle, killing three terrorists, one of whom was a high-value target named Fareed Ullah.
The second IBO was in Dossali, North Waziristan, where two more terrorists were eliminated following an exchange of gunfire with security officers.
During the third operation conducted in Mohmand District, the forces raided successfully a terrorist sanctuary and apprehended two militants, another high-priority target in Lal Ameer Ibrahim. Weapons, ammunition, and explosives were also recovered during the raids.
“These terrorists were actively involved in multiple attacks across the region,” the ISPR noted, adding that sanitisation operations are underway to ensure the complete elimination of any remaining threats.
This latest crackdown comes amid a sharp surge in militant violence in KP and Balochistan. A recent paper by the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies brought to the fore that militant attacks in March exceeded 100 incidents, the greatest single monthly total since November 2014.
Recently, even 54 militants were eliminated when an attempted infiltration along the Pakistan-Afghan border took place at North Waziristan, and again emphasizing the tenuous security situation.
Pakistan is currently ranked at the second position on the Global Terrorism Index 2025, with terror-related deaths up by 45% over the previous year, amounting to a shocking 1,081 dead.
