13 India-backed terrorists killed in two separate KP IBOs: ISPR

• Eight neutralised by security forces in Bannu district.
• Security forces kill five terrorists Kurram district.
• ISPR says killed terrorist associated with “Fitna al-Khawarij”.
  

Security forces have killed 13 India-backed terrorists during two separate intelligence-based operations in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said on Thursday.

In a statement, the military’s media wing said that the slain terrorists were associated with the Indian proxy “Fitna al-Khawarij”.

On the reported presence of terrorists, an IBO was conducted by the security forces in KP’s Bannu district.

During the conduct of the operation, own troops effectively engaged the terrorists’ location and after an intense fire exchange, eight militants were killed.  

Another IBO was carried out by security forces in KP’s Kurram district, the ISPR said, adding that five terrorists were neutralised in the ensuing exchange of fire.

Sanitisation operations are being conducted to eliminate any other India-sponsored terrorists found in the area, read the statement.

 Relentless counter terrorism campaign under vision “Azm e Istehkam” by security forces and law enforcement agencies of Pakistan will continue at full pace to wipe out the menace of foreign-sponsored and supported terrorism from the country, vowed the military’s media wing.  

Pakistan has experienced a rise in cross-border terrorist incidents since the Taliban regained control of Afghanistan in 2021. The provinces of KP and Balochistan, which border Afghanistan, have been particularly affected by these attacks.

ISPR Director General Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, in his presser on January 6, said that law enforcement agencies carried out 75,175 IBOs across the country in 2025.

Giving a breakdown, he said 14,658 IBOs were conducted in KP, 58,778 in Balochistan, while 1,739 operations took place in the rest of the country.

Lt Gen Chaudhry said that 5,397 terrorism incidents were reported nationwide during the last year. Of these, 3,811 incidents, he said, occurred in KP, 1,557 in Balochistan, and 29 incidents were reported in other parts of the country.

He said that 2,597 terrorists were killed during counterterror operations last year. While providing details of 10 major terror attacks across the country, he said that civilians and soft targets had been deliberately targeted, and Afghan militants were involved in all attacks.