Security forces kill 18 terrorists in Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa operations: state media

Security forces have killed 18 terrorists belong to Fitna al Khwarij and Fitna al Hindustan in separate intelligence-based operations in North Waziristan district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Mastung district of Balochistan, state media PTV News reported on Wednesday citing security sources.

The operations were carried out as part of ongoing counterterrorism efforts under the Azm-e-Istehkam vision and Operation Radd-ul-Fitna 3, the said.

The sources said security forces targeted hideouts of Fitna al-Khawarij in North Waziristan and adjoining areas during the operation, killing 13 terrorists in IBO.

In a separate operation in Siyah Pasht and Killi Gashtari areas of Mastung, Balochistan, security forces targeted hideouts of Fitna al-Hindustan terrorists, killing five terrorists, the sources said.

A large quantity of weapons and ammunition was also recovered from the killed terrorists, they added.

“Clearance and search operations are continuing in the areas to eliminate any remaining terrorists and ensure security,” they said.

The sources maintained that security forces remain determined to eliminate terrorism and establish lasting peace under the Azm-e-Istehkam vision, while operations against terrorists in Balochistan will continue with full intensity until the complete elimination of the terrorist threat.

President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif separately commended security forces for the operation, praising their professionalism and capabilities.

According to the President’s Media Wing, Zardari also praised security forces for killing five terrorists belonging to Fitna al-Hindustan in a separate operation in Mastung, Balochistan.

The president said the operations reflected the nation’s resolve and determination against terrorism and expressed confidence that the plans of terrorists, their foreign backers and local facilitators would be thwarted.

The Prime Minister’s Office said Shehbaz commended the officers and personnel involved in the North Waziristan operation, saying security forces had effectively targeted militant hideouts in the area and its surroundings.

The prime minister said operations against Fitna al-Khawarij would continue until terrorism was eliminated and lasting peace was established in the country.

He said counterterrorism operations under Azm-e-Istehkam reflected the state’s resolve to eliminate terrorism and vowed that terrorists seeking to undermine the country’s peace and security would not be allowed to achieve their objectives.