Security forces killed 13 militants in two separate intelligence-based operations carried out in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said in a statement on Wednesday.
According to the military’s media wing, the operations were conducted on March 30 and targeted militants identified as belonging to “Indian Proxy Fitna Al Khawarij”.
The term Fitna Al Khawarij is used by the state for militants associated with the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).
In the first intelligence-based operation conducted in the Bara area of Khyber district, security forces successfully neutralised 10 militants.
“During the conduct of operation, own troops effectively engaged khawarij location and after an intense fire exchange, 10 khawarij were sent to hell,” the ISPR said.
In a separate operation in Bannu district, three more militants were killed.
The ISPR added that sanitisation operations are ongoing to clear the area of any remaining militants, reaffirming that the country’s counter-terrorism drive under the Azm-e-Istehkam vision will continue at full pace to eliminate foreign-sponsored terrorism.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has witnessed a notable rise in militant violence over the past year.
According to the Centre for Research and Security Studies (CRSS) Annual Security Report 2025, fatalities in the province increased significantly, rising from 1,620 in 2024 to 2,331 in 2025.
In response to the renewed wave of militancy, particularly in KP and Balochistan where security personnel and law enforcement agencies are frequently targeted, the state has stepped up counter-terrorism operations.
Earlier, on March 15, security forces killed five militants in an intelligence-based operation in Lakki Marwat.
A week before that, 13 militants were also eliminated in five separate operations across the province.