Security forces have neutralized 21 terrorists belonging to the Indian-sponsored Fitna al-Khwarij in a series of intelligence-based operations across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa between September 3 and 5, the military said on Sunday.
According to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the operations were carried out in North Waziristan, Kohat and Dera Ismail Khan districts as part of the ongoing campaign against terrorism.
The military said that following a successful operation near the Pakistan-Afghanistan border in North Waziristan during the night between August 31 and September 1, security forces neutralized 10 more Khwarij hiding in the area.
With the latest operation, the total number of terrorists attempting to infiltrate Pakistan from Afghanistan and subsequently neutralized by security forces has risen to 25, according to the ISPR.
In another area of North Waziristan near the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, security forces detected the movement of a group of Khwarij. Troops engaged the terrorists in a timely and effective operation, neutralizing seven of them.
Meanwhile, joint operations in Kohat and Dera Ismail Khan resulted in two separate encounters in which four more Khwarij were neutralized.
Sanitization operations are continuing in the affected areas to eliminate any remaining terrorists linked to Fitna al-Khwarij and prevent them from carrying out further attacks.
The ISPR said the recurring incidents along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border once again reinforced Pakistan’s longstanding position that the Taliban administration in Afghanistan has failed to prevent terrorist groups operating under its watch from using Afghan territory for cross-border terrorism against Pakistan.
Pakistan has repeatedly urged the Afghan Taliban authorities to ensure effective border management and fulfil their international obligations regarding counterterrorism.
The military reaffirmed that Pakistan’s security forces remain resolute in defending the country’s borders and protecting its citizens from terrorism.
Under the directives of the Federal Apex Committee, Pakistan’s security forces and law enforcement agencies will continue their indiscriminate and sustained campaign against terrorism at full pace, aimed at eliminating the menace of foreign-sponsored and supported terrorism from the country.
