On 7th October, Pakistan’s security forces killed 18 terrorists in two separate operations, state media reported, in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province and Balochistan.

The Dawn TV quoted security forces as saying that in an intelligence operation in KP’s North Waziristan, “13 members of the group ‘Fitna al-Khawarij’ were killed”, as security operations against militant groups are ongoing under the Azm-e-Istehkam vision.

In Balochistan’s Mastung district, security forces shot dead five terrorists of the Fitna al-Hindustan group, according to Pakistan TV, separately.

During an intelligence-based operation in North Waziristan district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the security forces have killed 13 terrorists of the group “Fitna al-Khawarij”, the PTI, quoting Radio Pakistan, said.

The federal government refers to terrorists of the banned terror outfit Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan as ‘Fitna al-Khawarij’.

Five terrorists were also killed in the Mastung district of Balochistan state, the state-controlled Pakistan Television reported separately.

Recovery and clearance operations were ongoing in the area, with recovery of weapons and ammunition from the terrorists killed, the report said.

The President of the country, Asif Ali Zardari, and the Prime Minister, Shehbaz Sharif, praised the security forces for their operations in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, Radio Pakistan reports.

Militant attacks have increased in recent years in the two provinces of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, leading to a tightening of security measures by the government against the militants.