Daijiworld Media Network - Islamabad

Islamabad, May 24: Pakistani security forces have killed 27 terrorists belonging to the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) during multiple operations carried out over the weekend in the country’s northwestern region, officials said on Sunday.

According to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), intelligence-based operations were conducted in the North Waziristan district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Security forces targeted several militant hideouts in the Datta Khel area, leading to intense exchanges of fire.

“Following intense and fierce exchanges of fire, eleven khawarij belonging to Fitna-al-Khawarij were effectively neutralised,” the ISPR said in a statement.

Pakistan uses the term “Fitna-al-Khawarij” to refer to the banned TTP.

Officials said weapons and ammunition were recovered from the slain militants, who were allegedly involved in multiple attacks and disruptive activities in the region.

Earlier this week, Pakistani forces had reportedly killed another 22 militants in the same district.

In a separate joint operation on Sunday, police and the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) killed 16 more TTP militants in the Bannu district.

Officials said two senior TTP commanders were among those killed during the operation.

Two police personnel also lost their lives during the encounter, while several militant hideouts were destroyed.

Pakistan has witnessed a sharp rise in terror attacks, particularly in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, since the collapse of the ceasefire agreement between the government and the TTP in November 2022.

Security forces, police and law enforcement personnel have remained frequent targets of militant attacks in the region.