 struck back against Indian-sponsored terrorist groups, culminating in the death of at least thirteen terror...){kind=link}
Security forces in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) struck back against Indian-sponsored terrorist groups, culminating in the death of at least thirteen terrorists across five separate operations. The intense counter-terrorism campaign continues as Pakistan reinforces its defense along its borders with Afghanistan.
On March 6-7, a series of intelligence-driven operations resulted in the killing of thirteen khawarij from Fitna Al Khwarij—a banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan group—across five separate engagements. These killings took place predominantly in Bajaur and Dera Ismail Khan districts.
In one operation in Bannu, five terrorists were neutralized after a heated firefight during an intelligence-based operation (IBO). In another encounter in Dera Ismail Khan, three Fitna Al Khwarij members were successfully neutralized. Simultaneously, two more engagements saw the death of five khawarij in Khyber and South Waziristan districts.
The ISPR stated that recovered weapons and ammunition from these terrorist leaders indicated their ongoing involvement in numerous attacks across KP.
President Asif Ali Zardari commended security forces for their relentless actions against Fitna al Khwarij terrorists. He emphasized the significant impact of these operations on national peace, stating, “This is a major step towards securing our nation’s frontiers.”
KP has seen an uptick in terrorist activities within recent months, with violence rising from 1,620 fatalities in 2024 to 2,331 in 2025. This marks a 711 increase and accounts for nearly two-thirds of the total net national rise.
The armed forces have intensified their counter-terrorism efforts in response to a resurgence of militancy, especially in KP and Balochistan where attacks often target security personnel and law enforcement agencies (LEAs).
On February 24-26, ten terrorists from Fitna Al Khwarij were killed during four separate engagements. Eight terrorists belonging to the group Fitna Al Hindustan were also eliminated in an operation in Sambaza, Balochistan.
The term Fitna-al-Hindustan was introduced by KP authorities to highlight India’s involvement in terrorism and destabilization across Pakistan.
On February 23, security forces killed four terrorists in DI Khan district of KP. In a separate but related incident, five Afghan Taliban members, including a suicide bomber, were killed in Pishin, Balochistan.
These operations followed the martyrdom of two military personnel during an IBO in Bannu and continued with ongoing “Operation Ghazab Lil Haq” along the Pak-Afghan border since February 26. To date, over 755 Afghan Taliban have been injured or killed in these operations.