Security forces kill four militants in Lakki Marwat operation

ISLAMABAD: Security forces killed four militants during an operation in the Lakki Marwat district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the military’s media wing said on Thursday.

In a statement, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said that the operation, conducted on the night of February 18–19, was based on intelligence reports about the presence of members of the banned militant group “Fitna al-Khawarij”, which the army said was acting as a proxy for India.

The ISPR said that security forces “effectively targeted the militants,” killing four and recovering weapons and ammunition from the scene.

The militants were involved in multiple attacks in the area, the ISPR said.

The ISPR said that a clearance operation is ongoing to eliminate any remaining threats in the district.

“Under the National Action Plan and the Azm-e-Azm strategy approved by the Federal Apex Committee, counterterrorism operations by security forces and law enforcement agencies will continue at full pace to eliminate externally supported terrorism from the country,” the statement added.

No civilian casualties were reported, and local authorities have heightened security in the district following the operation.