ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s security forces killed 13 “Indian-sponsored” terrorists in intelligence-based operations in northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, the military’s media wing said on Thursday.
According to the military’s media wing, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said the operations were conducted on January 13-14, during which “Indian Proxy Fitna-al-Khawarij” were killed.
The term Fitna al-Khawarij is used by Pakistan’s government and military to refer to the banned terrorist groups, most prominently the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) terrorist group.
Security forces conducted a targeted operation in the Bannu district following intelligence reports of terrorists’ presence. In the ensuing gunfight, eight terrorists were neutralised.
Another operation in the Kurram district led to a further five terrorists being killed after an intense exchange of fire.
The ISPR added that sanitisation operations are underway to eliminate any remaining foreign-backed terrorists in the region.
This is part of the ongoing Counter-Terrorism campaign under the vision “Azm e Istehkam,” approved by the Federal Apex Committee on the National Action Plan.
The campaign aims to eradicate the menace of foreign-sponsored and supported terrorism from Pakistan, with security forces and law enforcement agencies committed to continuing their efforts at full pace.
Pakistan has witnessed a surge in cross-border terror incidents since Taliban rulers returned to Afghanistan in 2021, particularly in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan provinces.
Pakistan said the Afghan Taliban regime’s continued support for terrorist groups had enabled them to carry out attacks against the Pakistan military and civilian population along the Pak-Afghan border and in adjoining areas.
In March 2025, Pakistan ranked second in the Global Terrorism Index 2025, with the number of deaths in terrorist attacks rising by 45 percent as compared to the previous year.
In October, the Islamabad-based think tank Centre for Research and Security Studies said that violence had surged in the third quarter of 2025 due to a spike in terrorist attacks and intensified counter-terrorism operations.
