RAWALPINDI – Security forces conducted operations in two districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, eliminating 24 militants of the Indian-backed terrorist group Fitna al-Khawarij, bringing the total number of terrorists killed over two days to 37.
According to a statement issued by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) of the Pakistan Army, on November 16 and 17, based on intelligence inputs, two major and successful counter-terrorism operations were carried out in Bajaur and Bannu.
In these operations, 23 terrorists affiliated with the Indian proxy group Fitna al-Khawarij were killed.
The statement said that in Bajaur, security forces acted promptly on secret intelligence and targeted militant hideouts, resulting in the elimination of 11 militants, including key commander Sajad, alias Abu Zar.
Another operation of similar nature was conducted in Bannu, where security forces neutralized 12 more militants through effective strategy.
The ISPR stated that a sanitization operation is ongoing in the region to eliminate any remaining Indian-backed terrorist elements.
The ISPR added that under the “Operation Azm-e-Istiqamat” nationwide counter-terrorism campaign, security forces and law enforcement agencies remain committed to completely eradicating externally supported terrorism from the country.
Additionally, security forces foiled a major terrorist attack in Bannu by eliminating an operative of the Indian-backed Fitna al-Khawarij through a planted explosive device.
Earlier, on November 15 and 16, security forces conducted operations in two Khyber Pakhtunkhwa districts, killing 15 Fitna al-Khawarij terrorists.
The first operation was carried out in Kalachi, Dera Ismail Khan district, where 10 militants were killed in a crossfire, including the group’s senior commander Alam Mehsud.
The second operation took place in Datta Khel, North Waziristan, where five more terrorists were eliminated.
President Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Interior Minister, and others praised the security forces for the successful operations.
President Zardari commended the security forces for the successful operations in Bajaur and Bannu, stating that eliminating 23 terrorists of Fitna al-Khawarij, operating under Indian support, reflects the forces’ effective strategy.
He noted that killing multiple militants, including a key commander in Bajaur, sends a clear message to elements threatening peace. In Bannu, the elimination of 12 terrorists highlighted the professionalism of the troops.
The President said that timely actions by the security forces demonstrate the state’s commitment to peace, emphasizing that there is no room for foreign-backed terrorism on Pakistan’s soil.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also praised the security forces for two successful operations against Fitna al-Khawarij militants in Bajaur and Bannu, appreciating the elimination of 23 terrorists.
He said that under the “Azm-e-Istiqamat” vision, the security forces are achieving major successes against terrorism and that the entire nation stands with Pakistan’s armed forces in this fight, committed to eradicating all forms of terrorism from the country.
