ISLAMABAD: Four Indian-backed terrorists were killed and several others injured during a joint operation by security forces, police and the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) personnel in the Matta area of Swat.
Security forces secured control of a key strategic position in the Rashid Sar area during the operation, state-run Radio Pakistan reported on Wednesday.
Four khawarij were killed and several others injured during a joint operation conducted by the police and the Counter Terrorism Department in the #Matta area of #Swat#RadioPakistan #News #CTD https://t.co/bQ84lmaWJS pic.twitter.com/mwDftkkDMO
— Radio Pakistan (@RadioPakistan) July 29, 2026
It added that the terrorists belonged to Fitna-al-Khawarij — a term that the state uses for the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan.
Elite Force Constable Gulfam embraced martyrdom while engaging the terrorists.
According to state media, four terrorists remain inside a house and are allegedly using members of a family as human shields.
Security sources condemned the use of civilians as human shields, describing it as evidence of the terrorists’ desperation, and said operations against Fitna al-Khawarij would continue until the terrorist network is dismantled.
Pakistan witnesses surge in terror activities
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.
Last month, security forces killed 29 terrorists during a well-planned intelligence-based ground operation along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, followed by precision strikes in the border region targeting hideouts and safe havens of terrorists belonging to the banned Jamaat-ul-Ahrar and Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) terrorist groups.
A monthly security assessment published in early June by the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS) reported that Pakistan’s security situation deteriorated sharply in May after showing improvement over the previous two months. The decline was attributed mainly to a surge in terrorist violence in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan.
According to the report, Balochistan was the worst-affected province, recording 71 terrorist attacks in May, up from 34 in April—a 109 per cent increase.
