RAWALPINDI:
Security forces killed 22 Indian-sponsored terrorists during an intelligence-based operation (IBO) in Bannu district of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (KP) on Monday, the army said in a statement issued on Tuesday.
According to Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the operation targeted the alleged presence of “Khwarij belonging to an Indian representative, Fitna al-Khwarij”, a term used for terrorists associated with Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).
“On November 24, 2025, security forces carried out an intelligence operation in Bannu district in the suspected presence of Khwarij, belonging to the Indian representative, Fitna al-Khwarij,” the ISPR statement said.
“During the operation, our troops effectively attacked the Khwarij location and after an intense exchange of fire, 22 Khwarij were neutralized,” the army’s media wing added.
Post-IBO, disinfection operations are being carried out to remove any Indian-sponsored Khwarij remaining in the area.
“The relentless anti-terror campaign under the ‘Azm-e-Istehkam’ vision (approved by the Federal Supreme Committee on National Action Plan) by security forces and police agencies of Pakistan will continue in full swing to eradicate foreign sponsored terrorism from the country,” the statement said. The IBO followed hours after paramilitary soldiers of the Federal Police (FC) fought off multiple assailants, including a suicide bomber, who attempted to storm their headquarters in Peshawar during a morning parade.
The suicide attack claimed the lives of three soldiers and left 11 others injured, including seven civilians. Authorities said two terrorists who were trying to force their way into the compound were eliminated in a fierce gunfight.
Meanwhile, President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif praised the security forces for their successful operation against the Khwarij in Bannu. Both leaders praised the troops for their timely and effective response in eliminating 22 terrorists from Indian-backed Fitna al-Khwarij.
“Eliminating the Indian-backed Khwarij is the government’s top priority. The martyrs and war veterans (Ghazis) are the pride of the nation,” President Zardari said, praising the courage of the soldiers.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif emphasized national solidarity with the armed forces and said: “We are determined to purge the country of terrorism in all its forms.”
(WITH INPUT FROM THE APP)
