Security forces kill nine terrorists in North Waziristan IBO: sources

• Weapons, ammunition recovered from killed militants: sources.
• Security forces destroy Fitna al-Khawarij hideouts: sources.
• PM Shehbaz lauds security forces for killing nine terrorists.
  

ISLAMABAD: Security forces have killed nine Fitna al-Khwarij terrorists during an intelligence-based operation (IBO) carried out in several areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s North Waziristan district, security sources said on Thursday.

The IBOs were conducted in Palangzai, Nadeem Kot and Kot Khazri areas of North Waziristan, said the security sources.

Several hideouts were also destroyed, while a large quantity of weapons and ammunition was recovered from the terrorists, they said.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif lauded the security forces for killing nine terrorists in North Waziristan.

The latest operation comes a day after forces killed 18 India-backed terrorists in multiple operations conducted in KP and Balochistan, security sources said.

Security forces targeted militant hideouts in KP’s North Waziristan district and adjoining areas, killing 13 militants, they added.

Separately, security forces conducted an operation against Fitna al-Hindustan in Mastung, killing five militants, according to the sources.

Pakistan has witnessed a sharp rise in cross-border terrorist incidents, particularly in KP and Balochistan, since the Afghan Taliban returned to power in 2021.

Pakistan recorded its highest monthly number of militant attacks in 12 years during September 2026.

According to data compiled by the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS), an Islamabad-based independent think tank monitoring anti-state violence in the region, 225 militant attacks were recorded across the country in September, compared with 199 in August — an increase of 13%. Militant attacks increased for the third consecutive month.

Islamabad has repeatedly urged Kabul to prevent its territory from being used by militant organisations to carry out attacks inside Pakistan.

Pakistan maintains that the Afghan Taliban authorities have failed to take effective action against groups responsible for attacks on Pakistani security forces and civilians.

Despite multiple rounds of talks, Islamabad and Kabul have yet to resolve their differences, with the issue of militant groups operating from Afghan soil remaining a major point of contention between the two sides.