Dera Ismail Khan, September 24, 2025: Security forces killed 13 terrorists in an intelligence-based operation (IBO) in the Daraban area of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Dera Ismail Khan district, the military’s media wing said on Wednesday.
According to a statement issued by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the terrorists belonged to “Indian proxy, Fitna al-Khwarij,” a term used by the state for militants linked to the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). The government also refers to Balochistan-based insurgent groups as “Fitna al-Hindustan” in reference to India’s alleged role in fueling terrorism across Pakistan.
“During the conduct of the operation, our troops effectively engaged the Khwarij location and, as a result, 13 Indian-sponsored Khwarij were sent to hell,” the ISPR said.
Weapons and ammunition were seized from the slain militants, who, according to the statement, were involved in multiple acts of terrorism, including facilitating a suicide bombing in Daraban in December 2023, as well as the abduction and targeted killing of government officials and civilians.
A follow-up sanitisation operation is underway to clear the area of any remaining militants. The ISPR reaffirmed that Pakistan’s security forces remain determined to eliminate the “menace of Indian-sponsored terrorism” from the country.
This was the second major counter-terrorism operation in the district within days. On September 21, security personnel killed seven terrorists, including three Afghan nationals and two suicide bombers, during an IBO in the Kulachi area of D.I. Khan.
At the time, the ISPR stressed that Pakistan expects the Afghan interim government to fulfill its responsibilities and prevent the use of Afghan soil for terrorism.
Pakistan has seen a noticeable surge in terrorist incidents, particularly in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, since November 2022, when the TTP unilaterally ended its ceasefire agreement with the government and vowed to intensify attacks against security forces, police, and law enforcement personnel.
