Pakistan: Security forces kill seven terrorists in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa [Pakistan], November 15 (ANI): The Pakistan Security Forces killed seven terrorists during an intelligence-based operation (IBO) in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's Tank district, Geo News reported quoting the military's wing on Wednesday.
It said quoting the Inter-Services Public Relations statement that on the Tuesday night, the security forces conducted the operation in the Kiri Machan Khel area of the district on the reported presence of terrorists.
"During conduct of the operation, intense fire exchange took place between own troops and terrorists, as a result of which seven terrorists were sent to hell," it added.
During the operation, the security forces also busted the terrorist hideouts and weapons and ammunition were also recovered from the slain terrorists.
According to the ISPR, the militants remained actively involved in numerous terrorist activities including recent target killings of police in Tank and surrounding areas.
The statement said sanitisation operation is being carried out to eliminate any other terrorists found in the area.
"Locals of the area appreciated the operation and extended their full support to the security forces in elimination of menace of terrorism," the statement added.
Geo News reported that a day earlier, one soldier and two civilians were martyred after terrorists opened fire in the general area of Darazinda, Dera Ismail Khan, a statement by ISPR said.
According to the military's media wing, the militants fired upon vehicles of a private company working on a development project in the area.
"Resultantly, two innocent civilian employees of the company, Muhammad Faisal, 35 and Asif Kamran, 29 who were residents of district Karak embraced shahadat," said the statement.
Geo News reported the nation of 240 million has faced a surge in terrorism in recent months, with the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and other militant outfits intensifying their actions against security forces.
In response, the state has also launched operations to curb terrorism.
Centre for Research and Security Studies (CRSS), in a report released in October, noted that the security forces lost at least 386 personnel in the first nine months of 2023, marking an eight-year high.
In the third quarter of 2023, some 445 people lost their lives and 440 suffered injuries from as many as 190 terror attacks and counter-terror operations, Geo News reported.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan were the primary centres of violence, accounting for nearly 94% of all fatalities and 89% of attacks (including incidents of terrorism and security forces operations) recorded during this period. (ANI)