Kurram, November 20, 2025: Security forces have killed 23 militants linked to what the military described as Indian-backed Fitna al-Khawarij groups during two major intelligence-based operations in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Kurram district, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said on Thursday.
According to the ISPR, the first operation was conducted on November 19 after intelligence pinpointed the presence of militants in the area. During an intense exchange of fire, 12 terrorists were eliminated.
A second operation was launched shortly afterward based on another intelligence tip-off. Security personnel engaged a separate group of militants and neutralised 11 more.
The military said sanitisation efforts were underway to clear the area of any remaining threats. It added that Pakistan’s counterterrorism campaign would continue with full resolve under the Azm-e-Istehkam framework — an initiative approved by the federal apex committee overseeing the National Action Plan (NAP).
The latest operations come amid a countrywide surge in counterterror activities. Just a day earlier, security forces killed four militants in separate encounters in Bajaur, Spinwam, Zakir Khel and Dera Ismail Khan. On November 16 and 17, 23 more terrorists were eliminated in intelligence-based operations in Bajaur and Bannu.
The intensified crackdown follows a rise in terror attacks across Pakistan, including the November 11 suicide blast at Islamabad’s Judicial Complex, which claimed 12 lives and left at least 36 injured.
Pakistan has witnessed an uptick in terrorism since the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan in 2021. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan remain the hardest-hit regions. A KP police report noted over 600 terror incidents in the first eight months of 2025 alone, resulting in the martyrdom of 79 police officers and 138 civilians.
Islamabad has repeatedly called on the Afghan Taliban to adhere to the 2020 Doha Agreement, which obligates them to prevent Afghan soil from being used for attacks against other states.
