Security forces killed nine terrorists, including four key commanders, during intelligence-based operations in several areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s North Waziristan district, security sources said on Thursday, in one of the most significant counterterrorism actions reported in the district this week.
The operations were carried out in the Palangzai, Nadeem Kot and Kot Khazri areas of North Waziristan. Several militant hideouts were destroyed during the action, while a large quantity of weapons and ammunition was recovered from the terrorists killed in the operation.
Four commanders among those killed
Security sources identified the four commanders killed in the operations as Khalid Raza, Kamran, Musa and Maftoon. The terrorists belonged to Fitna al-Khawarij, the term the state uses for militants of the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). Officials described the loss of four commanders in a single set of operations as a major blow to the group’s local network in North Waziristan.
The operations were conducted under the Azm-e-Istehkam vision, the national counterterrorism framework under which security forces have stepped up intelligence-based actions against militant groups in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan. Security sources said the North Waziristan action was launched on the basis of intelligence reports about militant positions in the three areas.
President, prime minister praise forces
President Asif Ali Zardari commended the security forces for the successful operation, saying the elimination of nine terrorists reflected the professional capability and bravery of the personnel involved. He said every conspiracy by foreign patrons of terrorists and their local facilitators would be thwarted, and that operations against Fitna al-Khawarij under Azm-e-Istehkam would continue until terrorism is completely eliminated.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also lauded the security forces, saying the successful operations reflected Pakistan’s unwavering resolve to completely eliminate terrorism from the country. He praised the officers and personnel rendering services and sacrifices for lasting peace, and said the government would not allow terrorists to spread unrest or succeed in their designs. Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi paid tribute to the forces as well, saying indiscriminate operations against terrorists under Azm-e-Istehkam were ongoing and would continue.
Readers following Pakistan national news coverage have seen a steady pace of such operations in recent weeks, alongside official events such as the National Resilience Day commemorations across Pakistan held a day earlier.
Second major action in two days
The North Waziristan operation came a day after security forces killed 18 terrorists in multiple operations conducted in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, according to security sources. In those actions, 13 militants were killed in operations targeting hideouts in North Waziristan and adjoining areas, while five others were killed in an operation against Fitna al-Hindustan in Mastung.
Pakistan has witnessed a sharp rise in terrorist incidents, particularly in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, in recent years. Islamabad has repeatedly urged Kabul to prevent its territory from being used by militant organisations to carry out attacks inside Pakistan, and maintains that the Afghan Taliban authorities have failed to take effective action against groups responsible for attacks on Pakistani security forces and civilians. The diplomatic dimension of regional security also featured this week in the Vatican envoy Archbishop Gallagher Pakistan visit, which officials framed around dialogue and peace.
What happens next
Security sources said operations under Azm-e-Istehkam would continue in the region, with surveillance of militant movements maintained in North Waziristan and adjoining districts. No official statement had been issued by the military’s media wing at the time of reporting, and the account of the operation rests on security sources cited by multiple news outlets. Further details, including any official confirmation of the identities of those killed, are expected as the operation concludes.
For residents of the merged tribal districts, the latest action is another reminder that North Waziristan remains at the centre of Pakistan’s counterterrorism campaign, even as the government says the operations are steadily dismantling the networks behind attacks in the province.
