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11 India-sponsored terrorists eliminated in North Waziristan IBO: ISPR

Operation was part of series of IBOs conducted over past 48 hours, says military's media wing

By Web Desk
May 24, 2026
Security personnel stand guard in Bajaur district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. — AFP/File
Security personnel stand guard in Bajaur district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. — AFP/File

Security forces have neutralised 11 India-sponsored terrorists in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's North Waziristan district, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said on Sunday.

"In continuation of a series of intelligence-based operations, in the last forty-eight hours, Security Forces engaged multiple khawarijs' locations in the general area Datta Khel, North Waziristan District," the military's media wing said in a statement.

Following intense and fierce exchanges of fire, 11 terrorists belonging to India-sponsored Fitna al-Khawarij were effectively neutralised, it added.

According to the ISPR, security forces also recovered weapons and ammunition from the killed terrorists, who remained actively involved in numerous terrorist activities in the area.

Following the IBO, security forces launched sanitisation operations to eliminate holed-up terrorists from the areas, it said.

Separately, at least 16 terrorists, including two ringleaders, were killed while two policemen embraced martyrdom during an ongoing joint operation conducted by the Pakistan Army, police and the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) in KP's Bannu, security sources said.

According to security sources, the operation was launched a day earlier in the Miryan area of Bannu after reports regarding the presence of militants.

Pakistan has seen a sharp increase in cross-border terrorist incidents, particularly in the bordering provinces of KP and Balochistan, since the Afghan Taliban grabbed power in Afghanistan in 2021.

Earlier today, a blast near a railway track close to Chaman Phatak in Quetta left at least 14 people, including three Frontier Corps (FC) personnel, martyred and several others injured, the Balochistan government spokesperson said.

Several women and children also sustained injuries in the explosion and were shifted to hospitals for medical treatment, Balochistan government spokesperson Shahid Rind said in a statement.

Pakistan has repeatedly urged Kabul to prevent its soil from being used by terrorist organisations to carry out attacks inside its territory.

However, the Afghan Taliban regime refused to act against terror groups involved in countless attacks on Pakistani security forces and civilians.

Pakistan launched Operation Ghazab lil-Haq in February this year, months after the two countries agreed to a ceasefire in October 2025, following clashes triggered by unprovoked gunfire by the Afghan Taliban regime at multiple border points.

Despite many rounds of talks, both countries have so far failed to reach an agreement due to the Afghan Taliban regime's reluctance to take action against terrorist outfits operating from its soil.