RAWALPINDI: Pakistan’s security forces killed five Indian-sponsored terrorists during an intelligence-based operation in the Razmak area of northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province’s North Waziristan district on Saturday, the military’s media wing said.
However, during the intense fire exchange with the terrorists, Major Hafiz Ihsan Elahi (age: 34 years, resident of Mianwali district), a brave officer who was leading his troops from the front, having fought gallantly, embraced martyrdom, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said.
According to ISPR, security forces conducted an intelligence-based operation in the Razmak area of North Waziristan district on the reported presence of Khwarij belonging to Indian Proxy, Fitna Al Khwarij.
Fitna al Khawarij is the official term the state uses for the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan terrorist group.
“During the conduct of the operation, due to effective engagement by own troops, five Indian-sponsored Khwarij were sent to hell,” ISPR said in a statement.
“However, during the intense fire exchange, Major Hafiz Ihsan Elahi (age: 34 years, resident of District Mianwali), a brave officer who was leading his troops from the front, having fought gallantly, paid the ultimate sacrifice and embraced shahadat,” the military’s media wing said.
Weapons and ammunition were also recovered from the killed terrorists, who remained actively involved in several terrorist activities against the Security Forces and Law Enforcement Agencies as well as the killing of innocent civilians.
A sanitisation operation is underway to clear the area of any remaining Indian-sponsored terrorists, ISPR said. The military said Pakistan’s security forces and law enforcement agencies will continue relentless counterterrorism operations under the vision “Azm-e-Istehkam”, approved by the Federal Apex Committee on the National Action Plan, to eliminate foreign-sponsored and supported terrorism from the country.
“Such sacrifices of our brave soldiers further reinforce our unwavering commitment to safeguarding our nation at all costs,” the military’s media wing resolved.
Pakistan witnessed a surge in terror activities, particularly in its Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan provinces, since 2021, when the Afghan Taliban came into power.
Islamabad has repeatedly urged the Taliban regime to dismantle terrorist sanctuaries on Afghan soil, particularly those linked to the banned TTP terrorist network. However, the Taliban regime failed to take any action against the terrorist sanctuaries on Afghan soil.
Due to the surge in terrorist attacks, Pakistan has intensified counterterrorism operations to eliminate the menace.
On Friday, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Director General Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry said security forces had carried out 40,348 intelligence-based operations across Pakistan so far this year, killing 2,084 confirmed terrorists.
He said security forces were conducting an average of 194 intelligence-based operations every day. “So these IBOs are going on every hour.”
According to the military spokesperson, the operations have resulted in an average of 10 terrorists being killed each day.
“This comes to an average of 10 terrorists being killed every day, which is the highest ratio ever,” he said.
Comparing the figures with last year, he said security forces killed 2,597 terrorists in 2025, while 2,084 had been killed so far in 2026.
The ISPR director general said Pakistan had recorded 3,145 terrorism incidents this year, including 1,971 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 1,148 in Balochistan and 26 in other parts of the country.
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He added that more than 31,000 of the intelligence-based operations were conducted in Balochistan.
Lt Gen Chaudhry said 819 Pakistanis had embraced martyrdom in terrorism-related incidents this year, averaging four deaths per day.
The figure included 303 army personnel, 194 members of the police and civil armed forces, and 322 civilians. He added that 28 suicide attacks had been recorded across the country this year.
“The majority of which were carried out by Afghan nationals.”
He also said Afghan nationals were responsible for the recent suicide attacks in Tank district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and in Karachi.
The military briefing came as Pakistan’s security forces continue nationwide counterterrorism operations under the Azm-e-Istehkam campaign, aimed at combating militant groups and improving the country’s security situation.
The DG ISPR added this also had to do with the “agenda of the terrorist-supporting Taliban regime” and the clarity that the state of Pakistan had.
“These terrorists and their sponsors have come to understand that there is no space for appeasement or any talks with them […] They know that the state is telling them very clearly that either you submit to the state’s will in accordance with law and the Constitution, otherwise we are here and fighting,” he said.
Moreover, he added, this also had to do with the proactive nature of the operations. “These [terrorism] incidents also rise because when we get proactive […] there will be more engagements.”
He also said that 300 Indian websites were being operated for terrorism in Balochistan, more than 1,000 social media accounts were being used for the purpose and “hostile diaspora” was also involved in propaganda related to terrorism.
