Security forces kill 8 terrorists in Dera Ismail Khan IBO: state media

Security forces killed eight terrorists belonging to Fitna al Khawarij during an intelligence-based operation (IBO) in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Dera Ismail Khan, security sources said on Sunday, state-run Radio Pakistan reported. Fitna al Khawarij is a term the state uses for terrorists belonging to the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan. The operation was conducted after information was received regarding terrorists’ presence in the area, security forces said, adding that the IBO was a part of the Azm-i-Istehkam operation. Operation Azm-i-Istehkam was launched in June 2024, symbolising the national resolve to eradicate extremism and terrorism from the country. Security forces said that three key commanders of Fitna al Khawarij were included in the eight killed. According to Radio Pakistan, security forces recovered foreign currency and a large quantity of arms and ammunition from the terrorists. They also reaffirmed their “unwavering commitment to completely eradicating terrorism and restoring lasting peace across the country,” the state broadcaster said. President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Sunday commended security forces for timely and effective action in DI Khan, in separate statements. PM Shehbaz said the Pakistani nation stands shoulder to shoulder with the security forces in the war against terrorism, Radio Pakistan reported. President Asif Ali Zardari stressed that the “impure intentions of the terrorists active with foreign patronage and the support of local facilitators will never be allowed to succeed,” according to a statement issued by his office. He also recognised the “unwavering” national resolve to eradicate terrorism. KP has been witnessing terrorist attacks and security challenges for a long time. The province, excluding the merged districts, recorded 54 terrorist attacks in August compared with 36 in July, representing an increase of 50 per cent, according to data compiled by the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS). In response to these incidents, security forces have been conducting operations in various parts of the province. On Saturday, state media reported that security forces had killed five Fitna al Khawarij terrorists during an IBO in KP’s South Waziristan district. On Friday, seven terrorists were killed in the Eidak area of KP’s North Waziristan district during an IBO. On Wednesday, security forces killed three terrorists in an IBO in KP’s Mir Ali. A day before that, in an IBO in KP’s Bara area, security forces killed five terrorists. On Monday, four terrorists were killed during an IBO in DI Khan. On Sept 17, security forces killed 10 terrorists in separate operations in KP between Sept 15 and 17. Earlier in the month, over 20 terrorists were killed during multiple engagements in KP between Sept 3 and 5. On Sept 18, a major attack in the old Police Lines in KP’s Kohat claimed 23 lives and injured about 100 others. Eight terrorists were killed during an overnight clearance operation. On September 26 in DI Khan, 14 people, including two rescue officials, were martyred and 35 sustained injuries after a suicide bomber rammed an explosive-laden vehicle into a police checkpost and then targeted an ambulance shifting bodies to hospital. Pakistan recorded a sharp 83 per cent increase in violence-linked fatalities during the third quarter of 2026, reversing a declining trend reported in the first and second quarters as terrorism and counter-terrorism deaths surged nationwide.