Two terrorists were also injured during the operation, according to officials.
Security forces targeted the hideouts of militants belonging to Fitna al-Khawarij during the intelligence-based operation (IBO), security sources said. The term Fitna al-Khawarij is used by the state to refer to militants associated with the proscribed Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).
President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday praised the security forces for successfully conducting the operation.
President Zardari said the timely and effective actions of the security forces were playing a key role in thwarting the plans of terrorist elements.
Prime Minister Shehbaz, according to the state broadcaster, reiterated that counterterrorism operations would continue until terrorism was completely eradicated.
He said eliminating terrorism and ensuring lasting peace under the government’s Azm-i-Istehkam vision remained among the government’s top priorities.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has continued to face persistent terrorist attacks and security challenges. The province, excluding the merged districts, witnessed 54 terrorist attacks in August, compared with 36 in July — marking a 50 per cent increase, according to data compiled by the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS).
The latest operation comes amid a series of counterterrorism actions across KP.
On October 2, security forces killed seven terrorists during an IBO in North Waziristan.
On September 30, three terrorists were killed in an IBO in Mir Ali. A day earlier, five terrorists were killed during an operation in Bara. On Monday, four terrorists were killed in an IBO in Dera Ismail Khan.
On September 26, a suicide attack targeting the Aman Mela police checkpost in DI Khan’s Darazinda tehsil killed 12 people and injured 35 others.
Earlier, on September 18, a major attack at the old Police Lines in Kohat killed 23 people and injured around 100 others. Security forces subsequently killed eight terrorists in an overnight clearance operation.
Between September 15 and 17, security forces killed 10 terrorists in separate operations across KP. Earlier in September, more than 20 terrorists were killed during multiple engagements in the province between September 3 and 5.
