Security forces kill 8 terrorists in northwest Pakistan

Peshawar, Dec 5 (PTI) Pakistani security forces killed eight terrorists in two separate intelligence-based operations in the country’s restive Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, the military’s media wing said on Thursday. 

In the first operation, law enforcement personnel acted on the reported presence of militants and killed two terrorists in the Sararogha area of the South Waziristan district. Two militants were also apprehended in the operation.

One of those killed was “highly wanted” by the law enforcement agencies and also had a bounty of Rs 1 million on him, the military said in a statement. He was involved in numerous terrorist activities in the area, including target killing and extortion. 

Another operation was conducted in the Lakki Marwat district in which six terrorists were killed by security forces after an intense fire exchange. Sanitisation operations were conducted to eliminate any other militants in the area, the statement said, adding that the security forces were determined to “wipe out the menace of terrorism from the country”.

A day earlier, the forces killed five militants during an intelligence-based operation in Lakki Marwat while two others were injured.

The third quarter of 2024 saw a sharp increase in fatalities of terrorist violence and counter-terrorism campaigns, with a 90 per cent surge in violence, according to a report issued by the Center for Research and Security Studies (CRSS).

A total of 722 people were killed, including civilians, security personnel, and outlaws, while 615 others were wounded in 328 incidents recorded during the period.

Nearly 97 per cent of these fatalities occurred in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan — marking the highest percentage in a decade, and over 92 per cent of these incidents of terror attacks and security operations were recorded in the same provinces.

The total fatalities from three quarters of this year have now surpassed the total fatalities recorded for 2023; the number of fatalities rose to at least 1,534 in the first three quarters compared to 1,523 in 2023.

Terrorist groups continue to reorganise and beef up their ranks in the country, and most terror attacks remained unclaimed by terrorist or insurgent groups, likely for tactical reasons, according to the report.