Security forces have neutralized 22 India-backed terrorists during an intelligence-based operation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Bannu district, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) announced on Tuesday.
In a statement, the military’s media wing said forces conducted an operation on Nov. 24 on the reported presence of Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) terrorists, dubbed Fitna al-Khawarij by Islamabad. During the conduct of operation, it said, own troops effectively engaged the terrorists, sending 22 of them “to hell” after an intense exchange of fire.
The ISPR said a sanitization operation was underway to eliminate any other Indian-sponsored kharji in the area. “… the relentless Counter Terrorism campaign under vision ‘Azm-e-Istehkam’ (as approved by the Federal Apex Committee on National Action Plan) by security forces and law enforcement agencies of Pakistan will continue at full pace to wipe out the menace of foreign-sponsored and supported terrorism from the country,” it added.
In separate statements, President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif paid tribute to the security forces for the successful operation against terrorists. They commended security forces for achieving significant successes in the counterterrorism campaign, adding that the entire nation stands resolute alongside the security forces in this war.
The IBO came the same day that three terrorists were killed while attempting to infiltrate the Federal Constabulary headquarters in Peshawar. The attack resulted in the martyrdom of three FC personnel and left 12 people injured.