Security forces killed 13 terrorists during two separate operations in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the military’s media wing said in a statement on Friday.

The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said in the statement that a joint intelligence-based operation (IBO) was carried out in the Pahar Khel area of Lakki Marwat district, conducted by security forces and the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD).

“During the conduct of [the] operation, own troops effectively engaged the khawarij location and after an intense fire exchange, ten khawarij were sent to hell,” the statement read.

Fitna-al-Khawarij is a term the state uses for terrorists belonging to the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP)

The CTD said in their statement earlier today that two key commanders were among the terrorists killed in the IBO, which was launched at 7:30am.

“During the operation, 10 terrorists were killed, including two key commanders of the Teepo Gul group: Commander Niaz Ali, known as Akasha and Commander Abdullah, known as Shipunkoi,” the CTD said, adding that five terrorists were wounded, and one facilitator was arrested in the IBO.

In a separate IBO conducted in Dera Ismail Khan district, three terrorists were killed by security forces, according to ISPR.

“Weapons and ammunition were also recovered from [the] killed Indian sponsored khawarij, who remained actively involved in numerous terrorist activities against the security forces, law enforcement agencies and target killing of innocent civilians,” the military’s media wing said.

“Sanitisation operations are being conducted to eliminate any other Indian sponsored kharji found in the area as [the] relentless counter-terrorism campaign under vision ‘Azm-i-Istehkam’ (as approved by Federal Apex Committee on National Action Plan) by security forces and law enforcement agencies of Pakistan will continue at full pace to wipe out [the] menace of foreign sponsored and supported terrorism from the country.”

Earlier this week, the ISPR said that 38 terrorists were killed in four separate IBOs conducted over a period of three days in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Pakistan has witnessed a surge in terror activities, particularly in KP and Balochistan. The spike in terror incidents followed the TTP ending a ceasefire with the government in November 2022 and vowing to attack security forces, police, and personnel of law enforcement agencies.

Last month, the Islamabad-based think tank Centre for Research and Security Studies said that violence had surged over the past three months due to a spike in militant attacks and intensified counter-terrorism operations.