Security forces kill 27 militants in North Waziristan: ISPR

ISLAMABAD: Security forces killed 27 militants during a series of intelligence-based operations in the North Waziristan district over the past 72 hours, the army’s media wing said on Sunday.

The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said that security forces targeted several hideouts belonging to “Fitna al-Khawarij”— a term the government uses to describe the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) — and killed several militants. Security forces also recovered a large cache of weapons and ammunition during the raids, the ISPR said.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed satisfaction over the operation, noting that those responsible for the recent killing of Malik Saifullah Dawar, a prominent local figure in Mansehra, had been “brought to justice.”

The ISPR said the strikes were part of a coordinated effort under the counter terrorism campaign under vision “Azm e Istehkam” (as approved by Federal Apex Committee on National Action Plan) to dismantle militant infrastructure near the Afghan border.

“Our security forces targeted multiple locations, effectively neutralizing 27 terrorists,” the ISPR said in a statement. “The recovery of heavy weaponry and explosives underscores the scale of the threat these elements posed to stability.”

Prime Minister Sharif warned that “Fitna al-Khawarij” and their external sponsors would not succeed in their “nefarious designs.”

The prime minister emphasized that ending terrorism supported by external patronage remains the government’s top priority. “We will take this war to its logical conclusion,” he added.

President Asif Ali Zardari commended the security forces for “sending 27 Khawarij to hell” within three days, stating that the entire nation stands united behind the military to eliminate the scourge of terrorism.

Security analysts noted that the scale of the 72-hour operation indicates a shift toward more aggressive, pre-emptive strikes against militant groups that have been increasingly active in the tribal districts.

The latest casualties bring the total number of militants killed in the restive northwest to over 60 since the beginning of the month.