Pakistan’s security forces have killed four terrorists, including a senior Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) commander, in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa’s Bajaur district, the military’s media wing said on Thursday.
In a statement, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said security forces had observed the movement of a group of terrorists trying to infiltrate through the Pak-Afghan border on the night of Oct. 29 and 30. “Own troops effectively engaged and thwarted Khawarij’s attempt to infiltrate,” it said, adding that four militants, including high-value target Amjad alias Mazahim, were “sent to hell” as a result of precise and skillful engagement.
The ISPR said the slain TTP commander was second to Noor Wali and headed the Rehbari Shura of Indian proxy Fitna al-Khwarij. It described him as “highly wanted” by law enforcement agencies, adding he had head money of Rs. 5 million on him because he was actively involved in perpetuating numerous terrorist activities inside Pakistan while residing in Afghanistan.
“Sanitization operation is being conducted to eliminate any other Indian-sponsored Kharji found in the area as a relentless counterterrorism campaign under vision ‘Azm-e-Istehkam’ by security forces and LEAs will continue at full pace to wipe out the menace of foreign-sponsored and supported terrorism from the country,” the ISPR statement added.
According to the military’s media wing, the TTP leadership is orchestrating infiltration attempts into Pakistan while residing in Afghanistan, primarily to project an impression of domestic presence and to raise the diminishing morale of “their khwarij in Bajaur and Mohmand because of effective operations of security forces.”
The statement reiterated a call for the interim Afghan government to take concrete measures to ensure that its soil is not used to perpetrate terrorism against Pakistan. “It also validates our stance that Afghan soil is continuously being used as a safe haven by khwarij belonging to Fitna al Khwarij against Pakistan,” it said.
“The security forces remain resolute and unwavering in their commitment to defend the nation’s frontiers,” it added.
Balochistan IBOs
Earlier, the ISPR said security forces had killed 18 terrorists in two separate operations in Balochistan. In a statement, it said the militants belonged to Indian proxy Fitna al-Hindustan. In the first incident, an intelligence-based operation (IBO) was conducted in the Chiltan mountain range in Quetta district on the reported presence of terrorists.
“During the conduct of the operation, own troops effectively engaged the terrorists’ location, and after an intense fire exchange, 14 Indian-sponsored terrorists were sent to hell,” it said.
A second IBO was conducted in Buleda in Kech district, where a hideout was busted and four militants were “successfully neutralized,” said the ISPR. “Weapons, ammunition and explosives were also recovered from the killed terrorists, who remained actively involved in numerous terrorist activities,” it said, adding sanitization operations were underway to eliminate any remaining Indian-sponsored terrorist found in the area.
The military’s media wing emphasized that the counter-terrorism campaign by security forces and law enforcement agencies would continue at full pace to wipe out the menace of foreign-sponsored and -supported terrorism from the country.