ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s military said on Friday security forces killed five militants in two intelligence-based operations in the northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, as Islamabad presses ahead with its counter-militancy campaign.
The operations took place in Tank and Dera Ismail Khan districts on May 7-8, according to a statement issued by the military’s media wing, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR).
Pakistan has witnessed a surge in militant violence in recent years, particularly in regions bordering Afghanistan, with officials in Islamabad accusing Afghanistan and India of harboring and backing groups like the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), which Pakistani authorities refer to as “Fitna Al Khwarij.”
The term originates from early Islamic history and is used for an extremist sect that rebelled against authority. Kabul and New Delhi deny the allegations.
“On reported presence of khwarij, an intelligence based operation was conducted by Security Forces in Tank District,” the ISPR said. “During conduct of the operation, own troops effectively engaged khwarij location and after intense exchange of fire, four khwarij, belonging to Indian-sponsored Fitna-al-Khwarij were sent to hell.”
The military said another intelligence-based operation in Dera Ismail Khan district killed one more militant during an exchange of fire.
“Weapons and ammunition have also been recovered from killed Indian sponsored khwarij, who remained actively involved in numerous terrorist activities in the area,” the statement added.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif praised the security forces for the operations and said the campaign against militancy would continue.
“Security forces have been achieving major successes against terrorism,” Sharif said in a statement issued by his office.
“The entire nation stands with the armed forces of Pakistan in this war against terrorism,” he added.
The military said “sanitization operations” were continuing in both areas to eliminate any remaining militants.
