Security forces kill 24 Khawarij militants in KP operations

ISLAMABAD: Security forces have killed 24 militants belonging to the India-backed terrorist group Fitna al-Khawarij in operations in two districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, taking the militant death toll to 37 in the past two days.

According to a statement issued by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), two major intelligence-based counterterrorism operations were conducted on November 16 and November 17 in Bajaur and Bannu.

During these operations, 23 militants linked to the Indian proxy network Fitna al-Khawarij were eliminated, the ISPR said.

On a tip-off, security forces targeted a militant hideout In Bajaur, killing 11 terrorists, including ringleader Sajjad alias Abu Zar.

A similar operation was carried out in Bannu, where 12 militants were killed through an effective tactical response.

The ISPR said that sanitisation operations are under way in the two areas to ensure any remaining India-sponsored elements are eliminated.

It added that the nationwide counterterrorism campaign under “Operation Azm-e-Istihkam” is progressing with full force, and security forces and law enforcement agencies remain committed to ending foreign-supported terrorism in Pakistan.

Separately, security forces foiled a major terror plot in Bannu by killing an operative of Fitna al-Khawarij while he was planting an improvised explosive device.

Earlier, on November 15 and November 16, security forces killed 15 militants of the same group during operations in two KP districts.

The first operation, conducted in the Kulachi area of Dera Ismail Khan, resulted in the killing of 10 militants, including the group’s senior commander Alam Mehsud.

In the second operation in Datta Khel, North Waziristan, five militants were killed.

Meanwhile, President Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi lauded the security forces for the successful operations.

President Zardari praised the elimination of 23 militants in Bajaur and Bannu, calling it evidence of the forces’ effective strategy.

He said the killing of the ringleader in Bajaur sends a clear message to all enemies of peace. He also appreciated the professionalism of the troops who neutralised 12 militants in Bannu.

The president said the swift actions of the security forces reflect the state’s resolve to restore peace, adding that there is no room for foreign-backed terrorism on Pakistan’s soil.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also commended the forces for the two successful operations, saying that under the vision of “Azm-e-Istihkam”, Pakistan’s security forces are achieving major successes against terrorism.

He reiterated that the entire nation stands with the armed forces in this fight and remains committed to eliminating terrorism in all its forms.