Security forces kill 13 terrorists in Pakistan

Pakistani security forces have killed 13 terrorists in two separate operations in the northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, the military’s media wing said on Wednesday.

The operations took place on Monday and the terrorists belonging to Fitna al-Khawarij were neutralised, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said.

Fitna al-Khawarij is a term the state uses for terrorists belonging to the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan.

In the first intelligence-based operation (IBO) conducted in the Bara area of Khyber district, security forces killed 10 terrorists.

In another IBO conducted in Bannu district, three terrorists were killed by security forces. The ISPR said sanitisation operations are being conducted to eliminate any other khawarij found in the area. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has seen a rise in terrorist attacks over the past year.

According to the Annual Security Report 2025 from the Centre for Research and Security Studies (CRSS), Khyber Pakhtunkhwa recorded a significant surge in violence last year as “fatalities rose from 1,620 in 2024 to 2,331 in 2025”.

Due to a resurgence of militancy, especially in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, where attacks often target security personnel and law enforcement agencies, the state has intensified counter-terrorism operations. On March 15, security forces killed five terrorists in Lakki Marwat. A week before, 13 terrorists were eliminated in five separate operations across the restive province.