ISLAMABAD: Security forces killed 12 India-backed terrorists, while 11 security personnel lost their lives in a militant attack in Bajaur, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said on Tuesday.
Detailing the event, the military's media wing said that a cowardly terrorist attack was attempted on a joint checkpost of the security forces and law enforcement agencies (LEAs).
"The assailants sought to breach the checkpost security; however, their nefarious designs were swiftly and decisively foiled by the vigilant and resolute response of Pakistan’s security forces," said the ISPR.
The troops, it added, engaged the fleeing khwarij with precision and gunned down 12 terrorists. The blast also martyred 11 brave sons of the soil.
However, the attackers rammed an explosive-laden vehicle into the perimeter wall, resulting in severe destruction to a civilian residential building which was in close proximity and martyred one young girl and injured seven others, including women and children.
Noting that the sanitisation operations were underway to eliminate any other India-backed terrorist found in the area, the ISPR stressed that the relentless counter-terrorism campaign by security forces and LEAs will continue at full pace to wipe out the menace of foreign-sponsored and supported terrorism from the country.
"The sacrifices of our brave soldiers and innocent civilians further reinforce our unwavering commitment to safeguarding our nation at all costs."
Pakistan has experienced a rise in cross-border terrorist incidents since the Taliban regained control of Afghanistan in 2021. The provinces of KP and Balochistan, which border Afghanistan, have been particularly affected by these attacks.
ISPR Director General Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, in his presser on January 6, said that law enforcement agencies carried out 75,175 IBOs across the country in 2025.
Giving a breakdown, he said 14,658 IBOs were conducted in KP, 58,778 in Balochistan, while 1,739 operations took place in the rest of the country.
Lt Gen Chaudhry said that 5,397 terrorism incidents were reported nationwide during the last year. Of these, 3,811 incidents, he said, occurred in KP, 1,557 in Balochistan, and 29 incidents were reported in other parts of the country.
He said that 2,597 terrorists were killed during counterterror operations last year. While providing details of 10 major terror attacks across the country, he said that civilians and soft targets had been deliberately targeted, and Afghan militants were involved in all attacks.
