A fierce counterterrorism operation in North Waziristan has left 22 terrorists neutralised after security forces launched an aggressive clearance campaign against Indian proxy and Afghan Taliban-backed Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) elements entrenched in the Shewa area, according to a military statement.
The large-scale sanitization and clearance operation began on May 17, targeting heavily fortified terrorist hideouts and movement corridors believed to be used by TTP factions operating along the volatile border belt. During the latest phase of fighting, terrorists reportedly attempted to resist advancing forces by taking local residents hostage and using them as human shields in a desperate bid to secure safe passage.
Despite the dangerous situation and the presence of civilians trapped inside the conflict zone, security forces carried out precise engagements against terrorist positions, eliminating 22 terrorists during the past 24 hours alone.
The military described the hostage-taking and use of civilians as shields as a “criminal and cowardly act,” accusing the terrorists of deliberately placing innocent lives at risk to protect collapsing hideouts and escape routes.
According to the statement, the neutralized terrorists were involved in multiple terrorist incidents, while a large cache of weapons and ammunition was recovered from their possession during the operation.
Security forces have now fully encircled the area, with search and clearance activities continuing across surrounding pockets to hunt down any remaining terrorists attempting to flee or regroup.
The latest offensive forms part of Pakistan’s broader “Azm-e-Istehkam” campaign, which has intensified operations against terrorist infrastructure across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa amid renewed concerns over cross-border facilitation and safe havens enjoyed by anti-Pakistan groups.
Officials reiterated that the campaign would continue until the last terrorist is eliminated, signaling an uncompromising push to dismantle TTP operational networks and their facilitators across the region.
