Security forces killed three terrorists clad in burqas during an intelligence-based operation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s North Waziristan district, the military’s media wing said on Friday.

According to a statement issued by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), “On the night of 6-7 February 2025, security forces conducted an intelligence-based operation in general area Datta Khel, North Waziristan District, on the reported presence of khwarij.

Fitnah Al Khawarij is a term the state uses to refer to the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).

“During the conduct of the operation, own troops effectively engaged the khwarij location as a result of which three khwarij were sent to hell, who were trying to escape wearing women’s attire (burqa).”

It added that weapons and ammunition were also recovered from the terrorists, who remained actively involved in numerous terrorist activities in the area.

“Sanitisation operation is being conducted to eliminate any other Kharji found in the area,” it said, adding that the security forces were determined to “wipe out the menace of terrorism from the country”.

Earlier this month, 18 soldiers were martyred, and 23 terrorists were killed in various sanitisation operations in Balochistan within a day.

Terror attacks have increased since the TTP broke a fragile ceasefire agreement with the government in 2022, vowing to target security forces and police personnel.

With at least 685 members of security forces losing their lives amid a total of 444 terror attacks, 2024 turned out to be the deadliest year for the civil and military security forces of Pakistan in a decade.

Equally alarming were the cumulative losses of civilians and security personnel: 1,612 fatalities, accounting for over 63 per cent of the total recorded the past year and marking 73pc more losses compared to 934 outlaws eliminated. The overall fatalities recorded last year were a record nine-year high, and over 66pc more than in 2023. On average, nearly seven lives were lost daily.