Islamabad, Mar 7 (IANS): Eight terrorists were killed in two separate operations by Pakistani security forces in Khyber Paktunkhwa province, an army statement said.

The intelligence-based operations were conducted in two different areas of the North Waziristan district located along Pakistan-Afghanistan border, reports Xinhua news agency.

The terrorists belonged to different factions of the banned Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan outfit and had remained involved in terrorist activities against security forces, law enforcement agencies and locals of the area since 2009, the military's media wing Inter-Services Public Relations said in the statement.

The terrorists also carried out improvised explosive device (IED) attacks, firing, target killing, kidnapping for ransom and extortion.

"These terrorists were also involved in recruiting terrorists in the area. Security forces recovered huge cache of arms from hideouts," the statement added.

North Waziristan used to be a hotbed of militancy, but the security forces have successfully flushed out insurgents from the area in separate armed offensives.

Though the area has been purged from the militancy to a great extent, sporadic attacks continue in the area.