Five India-backed terrorists killed, two injured in North Waziristan: security sources

Security forces killed five India-backed terrorists and injured two others during an operation targeting militant hideouts in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's North Waziristan district, security sources said on Tuesday.

According to sources, security forces targeted militant hideouts in North Waziristan and surrounding areas during the operation.

Security forces remained committed to eliminating terrorism and establishing lasting peace in the region, security sources said.

President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif praised security forces for the successful operation against the militants.

In a statement, the president said that effective operations by security forces were playing an important role in thwarting the "nefarious designs" of terrorist elements.

Operations against Fitna al-Khawarij would continue until terrorism was completely eliminated, he added.

PM Shehbaz said that forces had taken decisive action against Fitna al-Khawarij and foiled the terrorists' designs.

He said operations against terrorist outfits would continue until terrorism was completely eliminated.

The operation comes a day after security forces killed three Fitna al-Khawarij terrorists during an intelligence-based operation in KP's Dera Ismail Khan district.

The IBO was conducted against militants under the Azm-e-Istehkam vision, security sources had said.

A day earlier, security forces killed eight militants during an IBO conducted in the same district.

The operation was conducted after intelligence reports indicated the presence of Fitna al-Khawarij terrorists in the area, security sources had said.

According to security sources, three key commanders of Fitna al-Khawarij were also among the eight terrorists killed during the operation.

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, a position Kabul has disputed.

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.