Rawalpindi : Nine members of the Indian-backed Fitna al-Khawarij group were killed by Pakistani security forces in two separate engagements in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, according to the military’s media wing on Saturday.
The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) reported that the operations were intelligence-based and conducted by security forces in response to reports of the presence of khwarij in the region.
In the first operation, conducted in Tank District, security forces engaged the location of the khwarij, leading to an intense firefight. Seven khwarij were neutralized during the exchange, the military said in a statement.
A second operation was carried out in Lakki Marwat District, where two more khwarij were killed in another fire exchange with security forces.
The military further stated that weapons and ammunition were recovered from the bodies of the slain khwarij, who were actively involved in various terrorist activities, including attacks on security forces, law enforcement agencies (LEAs), and target killings of innocent civilians.
The ISPR also confirmed that sanitization operations were ongoing in the area to eliminate any remaining Indian-sponsored khwarij elements.
“Under the vision of ‘Azm-e-Istehkam,’ the counterterrorism campaign by security forces and law enforcement agencies will continue at full pace to eradicate the menace of foreign-sponsored terrorism from the country,” the ISPR added.
President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif praised the security forces for their successful operations against the Fitna al-Khawarij terrorists in the Tank and Lakki Marwat areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
In their messages, both the president and the prime minister commended the bravery of the personnel who once again thwarted the dangerous plans of the Indian-backed Fitna al-Khawarij network.
President Zardari reaffirmed that the collective determination of Pakistan’s armed forces and its people would not falter until the “fitnah” is completely eradicated from the country.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif emphasized that the security forces are achieving significant victories against terrorist elements under the “Azm-e-Istehkam” strategy. He assured that the people of Pakistan remain steadfast in supporting their armed forces in this ongoing struggle, reiterating the government’s strong commitment to eliminating terrorism in all its forms.
