Key Points
- Eight Fitna Al-Khawarij terrorists killed in an intelligence-based operation in DI Khan
- Security forces recover foreign currency, arms and ammunition
- Latest operation follows a series of deadly engagements across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
ISLAMABAD: Security forces killed eight terrorists during an intelligence-based operation in Dera Ismail Khan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, on Sunday, as counterterrorism operations intensified across the province following a series of deadly attacks.
According to security sources cited by state-run Radio Pakistan, the terrorists belonged to Fitna Al-Khawarij, a term used by the Pakistani state for terrorists belonging to the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).
Security forces have killed eight terrorists belonging to Fitna Al-Khawarij during a successful intelligence-based operation in Dera Ismail Khan
@OfficialDGISPR #RadioPakistan #news
https://t.co/CVKyHFD3Ft https://t.co/G1wbe0gJwK— Radio Pakistan (@RadioPakistan) October 4, 2026
Three key terrorist commanders were among those killed, while foreign currency and a large quantity of arms and ammunition were recovered from the terrorists, the sources said.
The operation was conducted as part of Azm-i-Istehkam, the national counterterrorism campaign launched in June 2024 to strengthen efforts to eradicate extremism and terrorism.
President and PM commend security forces
President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif commended the security forces for the operation.
The prime minister said the Pakistani nation stood shoulder to shoulder with the security forces in the fight against terrorism.
President Zardari said the designs of terrorists operating under foreign patronage and with the support of local facilitators would not be allowed to succeed.
President @AAliZardari and Prime Minister @CMShehbaz have paid tribute to the security forces for their successful intelligence-based operation against terrorists in Dera Ismail Khan
#News #RadioPakistan
https://t.co/Bc2G5iIMoJ— Radio Pakistan (@RadioPakistan) October 4, 2026
The latest operation came amid a sustained increase in terrorist activity and security operations across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
According to data compiled by the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies, the province, excluding the merged districts, recorded 54 terrorist attacks in August, up 50 per cent from 36 in July.
The increase has been accompanied by a rapid succession of intelligence-based operations targeting terrorist groups and their commanders.
READ ALSO: Pakistan Security Forces Kill 11 Indian-Backed Terrorists in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan
On Saturday, security forces killed five Fitna Al-Khawarij terrorists in an operation in South Waziristan. Seven terrorists were killed on Friday in North Waziristan’s Eidak area.
Three terrorists were killed in an operation in Mir Ali on Wednesday, while five were killed a day earlier in Bara. Four terrorists were also killed in an operation in Dera Ismail Khan on Monday.
The latest sequence of operations follows several major engagements in September. Security forces killed 10 terrorists in separate operations in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa between September 15 and 17, while more than 20 were killed in multiple engagements between September 3 and 5.
The province has also suffered significant civilian and security-force casualties.
On September 18, a major attack at the old Police Lines in Kohat killed 23 people and injured about 100 others. Security forces subsequently killed eight terrorists during an overnight clearance operation.
On September 26, a suicide bomber rammed an explosive-laden vehicle into a police checkpost in Dera Ismail Khan before targeting an ambulance carrying victims to hospital. Fourteen people, including two rescue officials, were killed and 35 others were injured.
The repeated operations in DI Khan and other districts indicate the continuing pressure on terrorist networks in southern and central parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, where security forces have been conducting intelligence-led operations to disrupt command structures, seize weapons and prevent planned attacks.
Security forces have reaffirmed their commitment to eliminating terrorism and restoring lasting peace across the country under Azm-i-Istehkam.
Pakistan has been fighting against terrorism for more than two decades, with security forces conducting successive military campaigns and intelligence-based operations against terrorist networks.
Islamabad has repeatedly said that terrorists attacking Pakistan operate from sanctuaries in Afghanistan and receive support from elements based across the border.
Pakistani authorities have also provided proof of India backing terrorist activities in Pakistan, describing such support as part of the enemy’s designs to destabilise the country.
Islamabad has continued to press Kabul to prevent anti-Pakistan groups from operating from Afghan soil.
