Security forces eliminated nine terrorists and injured at least 16 others during a successful intelligence based operation conducted under the ongoing Operation 11 Grudge in the Khatti Kalay area of North Waziristan, security sources said on Thursday.
According to security sources, the operation was launched after intelligence agencies received credible information regarding the presence of a group of terrorists operating from a hideout in the area. Acting swiftly on the intelligence, security forces moved into the locality, established an effective cordon and launched a targeted clearance operation.
As troops advanced towards the suspected hideout, the terrorists opened indiscriminate fire in an attempt to break the security cordon. Security forces responded with precision, resulting in an intense exchange of fire that continued for some time.
During the operation, nine terrorists were neutralized, while at least 16 others sustained injuries. Security sources said several injured terrorists were believed to have fled towards nearby mountainous terrain, prompting security forces to expand the search and sanitization operation to prevent their escape.
A cache of weapons, ammunition, explosives and communication equipment was reportedly recovered from the terrorists’ hideout. The seized material is expected to assist investigators in identifying facilitators, supply routes and the wider operational network of the group.
Additional troops have been deployed to seal possible escape routes, while aerial and ground surveillance is being used to locate the fleeing terrorists. Security officials believe the operation has dealt a significant blow to the terrorist network’s operational capability in the region.
The latest success forms part of the ongoing Operation 11 Grudge, under which intelligence based operations have been intensified across North Waziristan to dismantle terrorist infrastructure, eliminate active threats and prevent planned attacks against security forces and civilians.
North Waziristan remains one of Pakistan’s principal counterterrorism theatres, where security forces continue intelligence driven operations to deny terrorist groups freedom of movement and destroy their remaining safe havens. Officials have reaffirmed that operations will continue until every terrorist hideout is cleared and lasting peace is restored to the region.
