Pakistan military says 13 militants killed in intelligence-based operations in northwest

Pakistan’s security forces killed 13 militants in a series of intelligence-based operations in the northwestern province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the military said Sunday.

The operations took place on March 6 and 7 in multiple districts, including Bajaur, Bannu, Dera Ismail Khan, Khyber and South Waziristan, according to a statement from the military’s media wing, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR).

The ISPR said the militants belonged to what it described as the Indian proxy group “Fitna Al Khwarij.” The term is used by the military to describe militants belonging to Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).

In Bajaur district, security forces targeted a militant hideout and killed five militants after what the military described as an intense exchange of fire.

Two separate encounters were reported in Bannu and Dera Ismail Khan districts, where security forces killed three more militants linked to the same group, the statement said.

Additional engagements took place in Khyber and South Waziristan districts, where troops killed five militants, bringing the total number of militants killed during the operations to 13, according to the military.

Weapons and ammunition were recovered from the slain militants, who were allegedly involved in multiple attacks in the region, the ISPR said.

Pakistan’s military said the operations were part of ongoing counterterrorism efforts as the country faces security challenges along its border with Afghanistan.

Security forces remain committed to defending the country’s frontiers and eliminating what the military described as foreign-sponsored terrorism, the ISPR said.

Sanitization operations are continuing in the affected areas to clear any remaining militants, the statement added.

The military said the counterterrorism campaign under the “Azm-e-Istehkam” initiative, approved by the Federal Apex Committee under Pakistan’s National Action Plan, would continue at full pace until militancy is eliminated from the country.