By ISPR
ISLAMABAD: Pakistani security forces carried out two intelligence-based operations (IBOs) in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Wednesday, resulting in the elimination of 13 terrorists reportedly linked to India, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) announced.
The operations form part of a broader counter-terrorism strategy aimed at eliminating foreign-sponsored militant networks from the region. The first operation took place in the Bara area of Khyber District, where security forces engaged the militants in intense firefights, resulting in the deaths of ten operatives.
According to the ISPR, the second operation in Bannu District led to the elimination of three additional terrorists. Authorities said that sanitization and clearance operations were continuing to ensure that no hostile elements remained in the targeted zones. The military described the operations as part of its ongoing campaign under the vision “Azm-e-Istehkam,” which seeks to eradicate cross-border terrorism supported by external actors.
Since the Afghan Taliban assumed control of Afghanistan in 2021, cross-border attacks have increased, particularly in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, both of which share extensive borders with Afghanistan. Earlier counter-terrorism measures, including Operation Ghazab lil-Haq, reportedly resulted in the deaths of approximately 684 Afghan Taliban operatives and affiliated militants, with over 900 others injured and 252 militant checkposts destroyed.
In October 2025, clashes along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border left more than 200 Taliban fighters dead and 23 Pakistani soldiers martyred following unprovoked attacks on Pakistani posts. Despite multiple diplomatic efforts, Islamabad has been unable to secure long-term cooperation from the Afghan Taliban, who remain reluctant to take decisive action against terrorist groups operating from Afghan territory.
