Security forces have neutralised at least 20 terrorists in two separate operations across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) confirmed on Monday.

According to an official statement, the operations were carried out between November 8-9 against terrorists linked to the Indian-backed group, Fitna al-Khwarij.

The first operation took place in Shawal, North Waziristan, where security forces effectively targeted the terrorists’ hideouts, killing eight militants. In a separate engagement in Dara Adam Khel district, 12 more khwarij were neutralised following a fierce exchange of gunfire. Following these actions, the forces began sanitisation operations to ensure no remaining threats in the area.

The ISPR emphasized that Pakistan’s security forces remain committed to a relentless counterterrorism campaign under the operation “Azm e Istehkam”, as approved by the Federal Apex Committee on the National Action Plan. The campaign aims to eliminate the menace of foreign-sponsored and supported terrorism from Pakistan.

Pakistan has been facing increasing terror incidents, especially in KP and Balochistan, since the Taliban took control in Afghanistan in 2021. Cross-border attacks have resulted in hundreds of casualties, including soldiers and civilians. During the first eight months of 2025, KP alone reported over 600 terror incidents, claiming the lives of at least 138 civilians and 79 police personnel.

The rising cross-border terrorism threats in Pakistan have repeatedly prompted Islamabad to urge the Afghan Taliban to prevent the use of Afghan soil for attacks inside Pakistan. Last month, tensions escalated when Taliban-affiliated militants carried out unprovoked firing along the border. In response, Pakistan conducted retaliatory strikes along the border, resulting in the elimination of over 200 Afghan Taliban and allied militants, while 23 Pakistani soldiers were martyred.