PESHAWAR: Security forces killed at least 15 militants of the Fitna al Khawarij during an operation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Kurram district, military officials said, dealing a major blow to insurgent networks operating along the Afghan border.
The intelligence-based operation was executed under “Operation 11 Garaj,” an ongoing counter-terrorism offensive across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province aimed at dismantling hideouts of Fitna al-Khawarij—the government’s designation for the outlawed Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and its affiliate groups.
Video footage released by the military’s media wing showed ground units pursuing fleeing militants through mountainous ravines while precision air and artillery strikes targeted insurgent strongholds. Thermal and aerial surveillance footage captured troops closing in on concealed hideouts, followed by targeted bombings that neutralised positions where insurgents attempted to regroup.
Following the main assault, troops swept the area and recovered a cache of heavy weaponry, improvised explosive devices (IEDs), and military-grade explosives, according to security officials.
The successful operation has dealt a severe blow to the terrorists’ network, significantly restricting their mobility and operational capacity in the region, the sources said.
