Pakistani security forces kill eighteen militants in separate provincial operations

Pakistani security forces killed 18 terrorists during separate operations in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan provinces.

Operations

Security forces killed 13 terrorists belonging to the group Fitna al-Khawarij during an intelligence-based operation in the North Waziristan district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The federal government uses this term for members of the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan outfit. In a separate action in the Mastung district of Balochistan, state-run Pakistan Television reported that five more terrorists were killed. Troops also recovered weapons and ammunition from the slain individuals while carrying out clearance and search operations in the area.

Reactions

President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif both commended the security forces for successfully conducting these operations in the two provinces.

Context

Both Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan share long borders with Afghanistan and have seen a sharp rise in militant attacks over recent years. This spike in violence has led security forces to increase the frequency of their intelligence-driven counter-terrorism actions across the region.