RAWALPINDI: Security forces have killed 27 terrorists belonging to what the military described as India-backed Fitna al-Khawarij during a series of intelligence-based operations in the Miran Shah area of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s North Waziristan district, the military’s media wing said on Sunday.

According to a statement issued by the Inter-Services Public Relations, troops engaged multiple militant hideouts in the district as part of ongoing counter-terrorism operations.

The ISPR said that following intense exchanges of fire over the past 72 hours, 27 militants were killed during the operations.

The military added that a cache of weapons and ammunition was recovered from the slain terrorists, who it said had been involved in numerous terrorist activities and targeted killings of civilians in the area.

According to the statement, the operation also avenged the killing of prominent local figure Malik Saifullah Dawar in Miran Shah, with the alleged perpetrators among those neutralised.

Pakistan has witnessed an increase in militant violence, particularly in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, since 2021.

The country has launched a series of counter-terrorism operations aimed at dismantling militant networks operating along the border regions.

Despite several rounds of diplomatic engagement, security concerns between Pakistan and Afghanistan have remained a source of tension, with Islamabad repeatedly calling for action against militant groups operating from Afghan territory.