Security forces killed eight terrorists in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s North Waziristan during an intelligence-based operation (IBO), security sources said on Thursday.

The sources said the terrorists belonged to Fitna al Khawarij — a term the state uses for terrorists belonging to the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).

The hideouts used by the terrorists were also completely destroyed during the operation, according to security sources.

Although the terrorists attempted to use a mosque as a shield to evade the security forces, the operation was carried out “with precision”, keeping the sanctity of the mosque in view, the sources were quoted as saying.

Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi paid tribute to the security forces for eliminating “eight Khawarij”.

“KP is on the front line against terrorism, and the security forces are determined to uproot terrorism from its roots,” he was quoted as saying by his ministry.

“We are proud of the brave sons of the security forces who foiled the terrorists’ nefarious designs.”

KP and Balochistan have witnessed an increase in terrorist attacks in recent weeks, prompting security forces to intensify counter-terrorism operations.

KP, excluding the merged districts, recorded 54 terrorist attacks in August compared with 36 in July, representing an increase of 50pc, according to data compiled by the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS).

On the night between Aug 31 and Sept 1, security forces killed 15 terrorists who had tried to cross into North Waziristan through the Afghan border, and later eliminated 10 more terrorists holed up in the area, according to Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR).

Another seven terrorists were neutralised in a separate encounter in North Waziristan after their movement along the Pak-Afghan border was detected, ISPR had said.

In late August, the official vehicle of the Miramshah assistant commissioner came under fire in North Waziristan’s Mirali tehsil. The AC was not travelling in the vehicle, and while his children and other family members were on board, they remained unharmed.