Police on Sunday killed three terrorists in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Lakki Marwat district during a search operation, according to a statement from the province’s inspector general of police (IGP).

Pakistan has witnessed an uptick in terror activities over the past year, especially in KP and Balochistan, after the proscribed Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) ended its ceasefire with the government in November 2022.

According to IGP Zulfikar Ahmed’s statement, operations are being carried out at the district level in KP to eliminate terrorists.

“In Lakki district, police are facing more cowardly acts by terrorists, to which they are giving a strong and effective response,” he was quoted as saying.

“Noting the presence of terrorists within the limits of Tajuri police station last night, the local police and the peace committee chased them,” the IGP’s statement read. “Lakki police, the Counter-Terrorism Department and the Special Quick Response Force launched a search operation.”

A separate statement from Lakki police said that the operation took place at 10:45am this morning in the Madozai forest and was led by District Police Officer Jawad Ishaq.

The IGP’s statement read, “In the operation, 20 to 25 terrorists were encountered within the limits of Tajuri and Bargai police stations. Heavy weapons were used by both sides in this two-hour long battle.

“The police fought very bravely and killed three terrorists without suffering any losses,” the IGP was quoted as saying. “Upon learning that, several injured terrorists fled the scene and a search operation was launched.”

Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi congratulated Lakki police for the successful “search and strike operation” in a statement from his office posted on X.

“We are proud of the courage and professionalism of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Police,” Naqvi was quoted as saying. “[The] KP Police are on the front lines in the war against terrorism [and are] determined to eliminate Khawarji, the statement added, using the term designating terrorists.

Militant violence and security operations intensified in the country in March, with the number of militant attacks surpassing 100 for the first time since November 2014, according to data released by the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (Picss).

In KP, at least 206 people were killed — including 49 security personnel, 34 civilians, and 123 militants — while 115 were injured, with 63 security personnel and 49 civilians among them, the Picss report said.