Security forces kill 34 militants in KP, Balochistan IBOs: ISPR

Security forces have killed 34 militants in a series of intelligence-based operations carried out over the past few days as part of the ongoing counter-terrorism campaign.

According to a statement issued by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), swift and targeted operations were conducted against elements described as Indian-backed proxies, as well as groups referred to as Fitna al-Khawarij and Fitna al-Hindustan.

The ISPR said that on 24 February, four separate operations were conducted in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, during which 26 militants linked to what it termed an Indian proxy were killed.

In Balochistan, eight militants were killed in an operation in Sambaza, district Zhob.

Meanwhile, along the Pak–Afghan border opposite Hassan Khel in North Waziristan, security forces detected the movement of a group attempting to infiltrate.

One militant was killed in the ensuing engagement and was later identified as an Afghan national.

The military spokesperson added that three militants were killed during an intelligence-based operation in Lakki Marwat following an intense exchange of fire. In Bannu’s Narmi Khel area, two separate clashes resulted in the deaths of 10 militants, while a further 12 were killed in an operation in Mir Ali, North Waziristan.

The ISPR stated that weapons and ammunition were recovered from the slain militants, who were allegedly involved in multiple attacks in the region.

The statement reaffirmed that Pakistan’s security forces remain committed to defending the country’s borders.

Clearance and sanitisation operations are continuing, and under the National Action Plan and the “Azm-e-Istehkam” vision, efforts to eliminate militancy will proceed at full pace.