Peshawar, Sep 26 (PTI) Eight militants were killed overnight in an exchange of fire with security forces in Pakistan’s restive Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, the army said on Thursday.
The troops also seized weapons and ammunition from the militants’ hideout, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) — the media wing of the army — said in a statement.
The ISPR said the operation was conducted on the “reported presence” of terrorists on the intervening night of September 25 and 26 in the Razmak area in North Waziristan district.
“During the conduct of the operation, intense fire exchange took place between own troops and Khawarij, as a result of which, eight Khawarij were sent to hell,” read the statement.
“Sanitisation of the area is being carried out to eliminate any other Khawarij found in the area as security forces are determined to wipe out the menace of terrorism from the country,” it said.
Pakistan has officially declared the outlawed Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) as ‘Fitna al-Khawarij’ and the notification by the Interior Ministry emphasises the use of the term ‘khariji’ (outlawed) along with the names of such terrorists.
The Pakistani government has repeatedly accused the TTP of operating from sanctuaries in Afghanistan, a claim denied by the Afghan Taliban.
There has been an uptick in the incidents of terrorism in Pakistan since the Taliban took over the government in Kabul in 2021, dashing hopes in Islamabad that a friendly government in Afghanistan would help to tackle militancy. Relations between the two countries have lately become strained, largely because of the TTP but also due to frequent border skirmishes.
Meanwhile, President Asif Ali Zardari lauded the security forces for carrying out a successful anti-terror operation in Razmak. PTI AYZ SCY SCY
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