Pak security forces kill 13 terrorists in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

Peshawar, Jan 15 (PTI) Pakistani security forces killed 13 terrorists in two separate operations in Pakistan's northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province in the intervening night of January 13-14, the military’s media wing said on Thursday.

"13 khawarij belonging to Fitna Al Khawarij were killed in two separate engagements in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province,” the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said.

The term Fitna Al Khawarij is used for militants belonging to the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).

On the reported presence of ‘khawarij’, an intelligence-based operation was conducted by the security forces in Bannu district. During the conduct of the operation, eight terrorists were killed.

Another intelligence-based operation was conducted by the security forces in Kurram district in which five terrorists were neutralised.

Sanitisation operations are being conducted to eliminate any other terrorist found in the area.

Earlier this week, four terrorists were killed by security forces during an intelligence-based operation in Balochistan‘s Kalat district, according to the ISPR.

These operations took place as Pakistan continues to grapple with the issue of terrorism.

Despite a record number of militant deaths, Pakistan saw a sharp escalation in militant violence in 2025, with terrorist attacks rising by 34 per cent and terrorism-related fatalities increasing by 21 per cent year on year, according to a report released by the Islamabad-based Pak Institute for Peace Studies.

In a press conference last week, Director General Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry shared that law enforcement agencies of Pakistan including the army, police, Federal Constabulary, and intelligence agencies conducted a total of 75,175 intelligence-based operations in 2025.

Breaking it down, he said 14,658 operations were conducted in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 58,778 in Balochistan, and 1,739 in other regions of Pakistan.

He added that 5,397 terror incidents took place in Pakistan in 2025, of which 3,811 were reported from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (71 per cent), 1,557 from Balochistan (29 per cent) and 29 in other areas. PTI AYZ GSP GSP