ISLAMABAD: Security forces killed eight India-backed terrorists during an intelligence-based operation (IBO) in Dera Ismail Khan district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, security sources said on Sunday.

The operation was conducted after intelligence reports indicated the presence of Fitna al-Khawarij terrorists in the area, according to the sources.

Three key commanders of Fitna al-Khawarij were also among those killed during the operation, the sources said.

A large cache of weapons and ammunition was recovered from the militants, along with foreign currency, according to security sources.

The latest operation came a day after security forces killed 11 militants in separate operations in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan.

The previous operations were conducted in South Waziristan in KP and the Gorindar-Mashkel area of Balochistan as part of ongoing counterterrorism efforts, according to security sources.

Pakistan has witnessed a rise in cross-border terrorist attacks, particularly in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, since the Afghan Taliban returned to power in 2021.

According to data compiled by the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS), 225 militant attacks were recorded across Pakistan in September 2026, compared with 199 in August, marking a 13% increase. The number of attacks increased for the third consecutive month.

Pakistan has repeatedly urged the Afghan Taliban authorities to prevent their territory from being used by militant organisations to carry out attacks inside the country.

Islamabad maintains that the Afghan Taliban authorities have failed to take effective action against groups responsible for attacks on Pakistani security forces and civilians, a position disputed by Kabul.

Despite multiple rounds of talks, Pakistan and Afghanistan have yet to resolve their differences, with the presence of militant groups on Afghan soil remaining a major point of contention between the two sides.