RAWALPINDI:
Security forces on Monday killed 22 Indian-sponsored terrorists during an Intelligence Operation (IBO) in Bannu district of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (KP), the Army said in a statement issued on Tuesday.
According to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the operation targeted the reported presence of “Khwarij belonging to an Indian proxy, Fitna al-Khwarij” – a term used to refer to terrorists associated with the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).
“On November 24, 2025, security forces carried out an intelligence operation in Bannu district over the reported presence of Khwarij belonging to Indian proxy, Fitna al-Khwarij,” the ISPR statement said.
“During the operation, our troops actually engaged the Khwarij site and, after an intense exchange of fire, 22 Khwarij were neutralized,” added the army’s media wing.
Following the IBO, sanitization operations are underway to eliminate any Indian-sponsored Khwarij in the region.
“The relentless anti-terrorism campaign being carried out by the security and law enforcement agencies of Pakistan under the ‘Azm-e-Istehkam’ vision (as approved by the Supreme Federal Committee on National Action Plan) will continue in full swing to eradicate foreign-sponsored terrorism from the country,” the statement said. The IBO followed hours after paramilitary soldiers of the Federal Constabulary (FC) repelled several attackers, including a suicide bomber, who attempted to storm their headquarters in Peshawar during a morning parade.
The suicide attack cost the lives of three soldiers and injured 11 others, including seven civilians. Officials said two terrorists who tried to force their way into the compound were eliminated in a fierce shootout.
President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, on the other hand, congratulated the security forces for their successful operation against the Khwarij in Bannu. Both leaders praised the troops for their quick and effective response in eliminating 22 terrorists of the India-backed Fitna al-Khwarij group.
“The elimination of the Indian-backed Khwarij is the top priority of the government. The martyrs and veterans (Ghazis) are the pride of the nation,” President Zardari said, praising the courage of the soldiers.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif stressed national solidarity with the armed forces, saying: “We are determined to purge the country of terrorism in all its forms.”
(WITH INPUT FROM THE APPLICATION)
