PESHAWAR: Security forces have killed 37 militants of the Fitna al Khawarij in multiple intelligence-based operations in different areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, security sources said.
The operations were conducted in Kohat, Hangu and Thall following recent militant attacks in the province. Security forces targeted militant hideouts, compounds and alleged safe havens.
In one intelligence-based operation, security forces killed nine militants in Kohat and Hangu districts, while three militant targets were destroyed in the border area with Afghanistan, according to security sources.
On September 20, security forces launched an intelligence-based ground operation against a group of militants in Kohat and Hangu.
Security sources said the operation resulted in the deaths of nine militants affiliated with Fitna al-Khawarij, which they described as an Indian proxy.
Separately, based on what security sources called credible intelligence, security forces targeted camps and hideouts of Fitna al-Khawarij and affiliated militant groups in the area bordering Afghanistan.
Three targets were destroyed in the operation, including a facility allegedly used to train suicide bombers.
The strikes killed 28 militants, including several suicide bombers, the sources said.
A large quantity of weapons and ammunition stored at the militant facilities was also destroyed during the operation, according to the sources.
Security sources said Pakistan has consistently sought peace and stability in the region. However, they said protecting citizens’ lives and property remains the country’s top priority.
They also expressed concern over the continued presence of militant centres in Afghanistan, saying Pakistan faces a terrorism threat emanating from across the border.
According to the sources, security forces specifically targeted militant facilities during the recent operations and took maximum precautionary measures to avoid civilian casualties and collateral damage.
The sources said counterterrorism operations under the Azm-e-Istehkam framework and the ongoing Ghazab lil-Haq campaign will continue to target what they described as foreign-sponsored and supported terrorism.
