Security forces kill eight terrorists, three commanders, in DI Khan

Security forces killed eight terrorists, including three key commanders, in an intelligence-based operation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Dera Ismail Khan district on Sunday, security sources said, according to state-run Radio Pakistan.

The terrorists belonged to Fitna al-Khawarij, the term the state uses for the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), Dawn and The Express Tribune reported.

Weapons and foreign currency recovered

Security sources said a large quantity of weapons and ammunition, as well as foreign currency, was recovered from the dead terrorists. The operation was launched after security forces received intelligence about their presence, and was part of Operation Azm-i-Istehkam, launched in June 2024 to wipe out extremism and terrorism.

Leaders praise the forces

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif praised the security forces for their “timely and effective action” and paid tribute to their bravery. He said the whole nation stood shoulder to shoulder with them in the war against terrorism, and vowed to continue operations until terrorism was completely eliminated.

President Asif Ali Zardari said the nefarious designs of “terrorists operating under foreign patronage and with the support of local facilitators will never be allowed to succeed”.

11 more killed in KP and Balochistan

Sunday’s operation followed another successful day for the security forces. On Saturday, they killed 11 terrorists in separate operations:

• Mashkel, Balochistan: six terrorists of Fitna al-Hindustan, the term for India-backed groups in Balochistan, killed in the Gorander area under Operation Radd-ul-Fitna 3
• South Waziristan, KP: five Fitna al-Khawarij terrorists killed, with hideouts destroyed and weapons recovered

A week of operations

Security forces have kept up pressure across KP this week:

• Monday: four terrorists killed in DI Khan
• Tuesday: five killed in Bara
• Wednesday: three killed in Mir Ali
• Friday: seven killed in Eidak, North Waziristan
• Saturday: five killed in South Waziristan
• Sunday: eight killed in DI Khan

On Thursday, Pakistan also carried out air strikes on terrorist hideouts at two locations in Afghanistan, killing 22 terrorists according to initial reports.

A rising toll

The operations come after a deadly surge in attacks. The province, excluding the merged districts, recorded 54 terrorist attacks in August, up from 36 in July, a rise of 50 percent, according to the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies.

Recent attacks include:

• Kohat: an attack on the Police Lines killed 23 people, including 15 police personnel, and injured about 100
• September 26: a suicide bomber rammed an explosive-laden vehicle into a police checkpost in DI Khan, then targeted an ambulance, killing 14 people including two rescue workers
• Hangu: a captain and a lieutenant were among six security personnel martyred in an exchange of fire

Why it matters

Pakistan’s security forces are paying a heavy price as they take the fight to terrorists, many of them operating from Afghan soil. Killing three commanders in a single operation is a significant blow to the TTP’s network in southern KP. Read our report on Pakistan’s air strikes in Afghanistan.

This article draws on reporting by Dawn, The Express Tribune and Radio Pakistan.