ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s security forces have killed seven “Indian sponsored” terrorists during an intelligence-based operation (IBO) in northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s (KP) province, a military statement said on Sunday.
“Seven Indian sponsored Khwarij, including three Afghan Nationals and two suicide bombers, were killed in the Kulachi area of Dera Ismail Khan yesterday,” the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said.
The state uses the term Fitna al Khwarij to refer to terrorists belonging to the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). It has also designated Balochistan-based groups as Fitna al Hindustan to highlight India’s alleged role in terrorism and destabilisation across Pakistan.
“During the conduct of operation, own troops effectively engaged the khwarij location and as a result, seven khwarij, including three Afghan nationals and two suicide bombers, were sent to hell,” the ISPR added.
It said the sanitisation operation is being conducted to eliminate any other Indian sponsored terrorists found in the area, as the security forces of Pakistan are determined to wipe out the menace of Indian Sponsored Terrorism from the country.
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’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has reiterated Islamabad’s resolve to eliminate terrorism from the country, saying that Afghanistan must choose between siding with terrorists or standing with Pakistan. He warned there would be zero tolerance for ambiguity on the issue.
Pakistan has hosted Afghans for more than four decades, from the Soviet invasion through the Taliban takeover in 2021.
According to media reports, following a 2023 crackdown on undocumented Afghans and those exceeding legal status, more than 554,000 Afghans have been returned since April 2025 under Pakistan’s Illegal Foreigners Repatriation Plan — including around 145,000 in August.
According to security sources, masterminds and facilitators of terrorism are based in Afghanistan and are being supported by India.
The two nations share a porous border spanning around 2,500 kilometres with several crossing points, which hold significance as a key element of regional trade and relations between the people across both sides of the fence.
