RAWALPINDI (MNN); Security forces killed 10 militants described as members of the Indian-sponsored Fitna Al-Khawarij in separate engagements in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa between September 15 and 17, while six soldiers embraced martyrdom, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said on Thursday.
According to the military’s media wing, security forces launched an intelligence-based operation in North Waziristan after receiving information about the presence of militants in the area.
“During the conduct of the operation, own troops effectively engaged the khawarij location and after intense exchange of fire, six khawarij belonging to Indian-sponsored Fitna Al-Khawarij were sent to hell,” the ISPR said.
The military uses the term Fitna Al-Khawarij for the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).
In a separate engagement in Hangu district, security forces killed another four militants, according to the ISPR.
The military said that on September 17, an improvised explosive device (IED) targeted a security forces convoy, resulting in the deaths of six soldiers.
“Six brave sons of the soil rendered the ultimate sacrifice and embraced Shahadat,” the ISPR said.
The security forces also recovered weapons and ammunition from the militants killed during the operations. According to the ISPR, the militants had been involved in multiple terrorist activities in the area.
Following the engagements, sanitisation operations were launched to locate and eliminate any other militants who may still be present in the area.
The ISPR said Pakistan’s ongoing counterterrorism campaign under the “Azm-e-Istehkam” vision, approved by the Federal Apex Committee under the National Action Plan, would continue with full force.
The military said security forces and law-enforcement agencies remained committed to eliminating what it described as the threat of foreign-sponsored and supported terrorism from the country.
“These sacrifices of our brave soldiers further reinforce our unwavering commitment to safeguarding our nation at all costs,” the ISPR statement concluded.
Terrorism Trend
Pakistan has faced a sustained rise in militant violence in recent years. According to data cited from Armed Conflict Location & Event Data (ACLED), the number of recorded attacks in Pakistan increased from 658 in 2022 to 2,425 in 2025, representing an increase of nearly four times.
Earlier this month, security forces reported killing 21 militants belonging to Fitna Al-Khawarij in separate engagements in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa.
Last month, security forces also reported killing 11 militants in separate intelligence-based operations in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, targeting suspected members of Fitna Al-Khawarij and Fitna Al-Hindustan.
