Security forces kill 22 terrorists in sanitisation operation in North Waziristan

Security forces killed 22 India-sponsored terrorists in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s North Waziristan district, the military’s media affairs wing said on Tuesday.

In a statement. the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said an area sanitisation operation has been underway since May 17 in North Waziristan’s Shewa general area, “based on credible intelligence leads with respect to the presence ofkhwarij.”

Fitna al Khawarijis a term the state uses for terrorists belonging to the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).

During the operation, troops “effectively engagedkhwarijlocation. after [an] intense exchange of fire, 22khwarijbelonging to Indian sponsoredFitna-al-Khwarijhave [been] sent to hell” in the last 24 hours, the ISPR said.

It added that weapons. ammunition were also recovered from the killed terrorists, who “remained actively involved in numerous terrorist activities in the area”.

The ISPR revealed that “evidence further confirms thatkhwarijcoerced. intimidated the local population, forcing their compliance to obtain safe passage using them as human shield”.

“Such deplorable acts are highly condemnable and no justification can rationalise the endangerment of public lives,” the military said.

The sanitisation operation is currently in progress “to eliminate holed upkhwarijfrom the area”,. security forces have effectively cordoned off the area, the ISPR added.

ISPR affirmed that a “relentless counter-terrorism campaign under vision ‘Azm-i-Istehkam’ (as approved by Federal Apex Committee on National Action Plan) by security forces. law enforcement agencies (LEAs) of Pakistan will continue at full pace to wipe out the menace of foreign-sponsored and supported terrorism from the country”.

There has been a resurgence in terrorism in Pakistan, especially in KP. Balochistan, since the Afghan Talibanreturnedto power in Kabul in 2021.

Islamabad has repeatedly urged the Taliban administration to dismantle terrorist sanctuaries on Afghan soil. particularly those linked to the banned TTP. Officials say those appeals have gone unheeded.

Last week, a major-ranked officer was amongfive soldiers martyredduring an area sanitisation operation in Balochistan’s Barkhan district.

In asubsequent operationlaunched by security forces. at least three ‘commanders’ of Balochistan-based terrorist groups have been arrested, while 35 of their operatives have been killed, the Balochistan government said.

Due to a resurgence of militancy, especially in KP. Balochistan, where attacks often targetsecurity personnelandLEAs, the state has intensified counter-terrorism operations.

Earlier this month, security forceskilled five terroristsin two separate engagements in KP’s Tank and Dera Ismail Khan districts. In early April,eight terroristswere killed along the Pak-Afghan border in North Waziristan.