ISLAMABAD: Twenty-three terrorists were killed by Pakistan security forces during a series of intelligence-based operation in parts of north-western Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, growing the number of terrorists killed to 45 this week, as the country remains determined in its efforts to eliminate terrorist threats, said the military media in a statement.
According to Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), in a determined effort to eliminate terrorist threats and “dismantle the khwarij networks”, the security forces continue to conduct series of intelligence-based operations in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. Which, as per the statement, were based on credible intelligence leads.
It added that the operations have been further expanded to hotspots including Datta Khel, Spinwam and Bannu areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.
The military media said that over the last 48 hours, following intense and fierce exchanges of fire, “twenty-three khwarij” were killed in what it described as “belonging to Indian-sponsored Fitna-al-Khwarij.”
Pakistan officially declared the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) as "Fitna al-Khawarij" (the sect of the Kharijites) to delegitimize the group's extremist ideology.
It added that among the 23 killed, it included the Ring leader Jan Meer alias Toor Saqib, which it called as giving a “significant blow” to the terrorists networks operating in those areas.
“Kharji Ring leader Jan Meer alias Toor Saqib was highly wanted by the Security Forces and Government had fixed Head money on him for his active involvement in numerous terrorist activities including killing of security forces personnel and innocent civilians,” said the statement.
The military media stated that weapons, ammunition and large cache of explosives and prepared Improvised Explosive Devices (IED) have also been recovered from killed terrorists, which, it added, remained actively involved in numerous terrorist activities in the area.
“During sanitization operations series of complex network of underground tunnels and bunkers used by khwarij were also unearthed and destroyed by security forces,” said the statement.
The military said the operation is continuing to eliminate terrorists hiding in the area as part of Pakistan's ongoing counterterrorism campaign under "Azm-e-Istehkam," approved by the Federal Apex Committee under the National Action Plan.
It said the campaign by security forces and law enforcement agencies would continue at full pace to eliminate what it described as foreign-sponsored terrorism from the country.
Pakistan has intensified its counter-terrorism operations against terrorist outfits, as Afghan Taliban regime remains reluctant in its approach against the terrorists hideouts.
This week, Pakistan's security forces killed 22 terrorists during a sanitization operation in the Shewa area of North Waziristan district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
