Islamabad, Pakistan – The Pakistani military announced on Saturday that security forces, as part of ongoing intelligence and security operations in North Waziristan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, killed 21 terrorists in the past 72 hours.
In a statement, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the Pakistani military’s media wing, said that multiple, scattered terrorist hideouts were directly attacked in the Miranshah general area and surrounding areas of North Waziristan.
Elimination of prominent leaders of the “Kharijite sedition”
The detailed military statement said that after a fierce exchange of fire over the past 72 hours, 21 more Kharijites belonging to the Indian-sponsored Kharijite sedition were killed, dealing a major blow to the Kharijite network operating in the region.
The toll included four Kharijite leaders: Kharijite Khalid Raza, also known as Salar; Kharijite Maftoon; Kharijite Musa; and Kharijite Imran, also known as Ayan. The Pakistani government uses the term “Kharijite sedition” to refer to the banned Pakistani Taliban (TTP) and its affiliated groups.
A statement from the Pakistani military’s public relations department said the slain leaders of the terrorist group were highly wanted for their involvement in numerous terrorist activities, including the killing of security personnel and innocent civilians.
The military command noted that since the start of operations last week, and after the killing of 27 terrorists in the past 72 hours, the total number of terrorists killed in “highly skilled and precise operations” has reached 48.
Various weapons and ammunition were also recovered from the terrorists, confirming that they were still actively involved in numerous terrorist activities and the killing of innocent civilians.
Vision of “Resolve of Uprightness” and Continuous Operations
The army said clearing operations would continue to eliminate the remaining terrorists holed up in the area.
The statement affirmed that “the ongoing counter-terrorism campaign under the ‘Azm-e-Istiqaamah’ vision (as endorsed by the Federal Supreme Committee on the National Action Plan) by Pakistan’s security forces and law enforcement agencies will continue in full force to eliminate the threat of foreign-backed and funded terrorism in the country.”
Context of the deteriorating security situation in Khyber and Balochistan
As a precautionary measure, the district administration imposed Article 144 on June 2 for an indefinite period in the Miranshah sub-district, restricting all movement and traffic amid heightened security concerns.
This measure was widely seen as an indication of intensified counterinsurgency operations in North Waziristan. Furthermore, the administration took extraordinary precautions against any retaliatory attacks. Prior to the imposition of Article 144, security forces reportedly thwarted a suicide attack by terrorists on a military post near Miranshah.
These developments come after a sharp deterioration in the security situation in May due to escalating terrorist violence in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, according to the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS).
In response to the extremism, the government has intensified operations. Attacks have targeted security personnel and law enforcement forces. In late May, security forces killed 11 terrorists in the Datta Khel area of North Waziristan.
