21 terrorists killed by Pakistani forces

Security forces killed 21 terrorists in a series of intelligence-based operations in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province in northwest Pakistan over the last three days, the military’s media wing said on Saturday.

Among those killed in North Waziristan district over the last 72 hours were four ring leaders belonging to Fitna-al-Khwarij, wanted for their involvement in numerous terrorist activities, including killing of security forces’ personnel and innocent civilians, the media wing said.

Fitna-al-Khawarij is a term that the state uses for the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).

“A total of 48 khwarij have been killed since last week in the highly skilful and precise operations,” a statement from the media wing said. Weapons and ammunition have also been recovered from those killed, it said. Sanitisation operations would continue to eliminate remaining holed up terrorists in the area under the relentless Counter Terrorism campaign by security forces and law enforcement agencies.

In late May, security forces killed 11 terrorists in the Datta Khel area of North Waziristan and in June first week, after a suicide attack was foiled in Miranshah, section 144 was imposed in that area.

According to the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS), after two consecutive months of improvement, Pakistan’s security situation deteriorated sharply in May 2026, driven primarily by escalating terrorist violence in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan.