ISALAMABAD: Security forces killed three terrorists during an intelligence-based operation in Mir Ali, North Waziristan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Radio Pakistan reported on Wednesday.
Sources said a large amount of weapons and ammunition was recovered. Security forces also destroyed hideouts used by Fitna al-Khawarij in Mir Ali and nearby areas.
Fitna al-Khawarij is the term the state uses for members of the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).
Sources added that security forces stopped the terrorists from intercepting a truck carrying food supplies near Mir Ali Bazaar.
President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif praised security forces for the operation.
In separate statements, they said the forces’ skill and courage in fighting terrorism were a source of pride.
The president said operations against terrorism would continue to protect peace, people’s lives and property. He added that plans by terrorist groups working with foreign support would be stopped.
The prime minister said operations would continue until terrorism was removed from the country. He said ending terrorism was the government’s top priority.
The whole nation stood with the security forces, he added.
A day earlier, security forces killed seven terrorists in separate operations in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, security sources said.
Five terrorists linked to Fitna al-Khawarij were killed in an operation in the Bara area of Khyber district. Weapons and ammunition were recovered.
In Balochistan’s Chagai district, security forces killed two terrorists linked to Fitna al-Hindustan in an operation in the Nok Kacha area, sources said. The term is used for Indian-backed terrorists from the banned Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) and related groups.
The sources said the terrorists set an empty water tanker on fire before trying to escape. Security forces responded quickly and killed them.
The terrorists were also involved in setting fires at several places along the N-40 highway.
Pakistan has seen a rise in terrorist attacks over the past three months, with attacks across the country killing security personnel and civilians.
Last week, 12 people were killed and 35 injured in a blast at a joint checkpoint near Aman Mela in the Darazinda area of Dera Ismail Khan. The TTP claimed responsibility.
On September 19, 23 people, including 15 police officers, were killed in a blast at a mosque in Kohat’s Police Lines during Friday prayers. Eight terrorists were also killed in a search operation afterward. Later, the Afghanistan-based group Ittihadul Mujahideen Pakistan (IMP), led by Hafiz Gul Bahadur, claimed responsibility for the bombing and attacks by several gunmen.
In another incident, a captain and a lieutenant were among six security personnel killed in a gunfight in Hangu district. Eight terrorists were also killed.
On September 1, six security personnel, including two officers, and a customs official were killed as security forces stopped an attack on the Customs House in Balochistan.
In July, at least 30 people, including 27 police officers, were killed when terrorists identified by the state as Indian-backed Fitna al-Hindustan attacked police in the Kach Mangi Phase III area of Ziarat. The attack led to hours of fighting. The attackers also took several civilians and police officers hostage.
After the attack, the Pakistan Army, Frontier Corps and Balochistan Police began a joint operation. It is still underway, with forces stepping up action against terrorists across the province.
Reported By: Special Reporter I Islamabad
