In a major success against rising terrorism, Pakistan’s security forces have neutralised 23 Indian proxy Fitna al-Khawarij terrorists during two separate engagements in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Kurram district, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) confirmed on Thursday.

Sharing details of the November 19 operations, the military’s media wing said troops initially launched a targeted operation based on confirmed intelligence about militant presence. An intense exchange of fire followed, resulting in the elimination of 12 terrorists.

According to the ISPR, actionable intelligence later pointed to another group of militants operating in the same general area. In a second intelligence-based operation (IBO), security forces successfully neutralised 11 more terrorists, bringing the total to 23.

Sanitisation efforts are currently underway to ensure no remaining threats are present in the region. The ISPR reaffirmed that Pakistan will continue its full-scale efforts to eradicate foreign-sponsored terrorism under the “Azm-e-Istehkam” counterterrorism campaign, approved by the federal apex committee under the National Action Plan.

Read More: Security forces eliminate four Indian-backed terrorists in KP: ISPR

The latest operation comes amid a broader surge in anti-terror activities across the country, during which security forces have eliminated dozens of militants in recent weeks.

Just a day earlier, the ISPR reported that four terrorists were killed in separate operations across KP between November 17 and 18 — one in Bajaur, two in Spinwam and Zakir Khel, and one in Dera Ismail Khan. Prior to that, 23 militants were neutralised in two IBOs in Bajaur and Bannu between November 16 and 17.

These intensified operations follow a rise in terrorist attacks across Pakistan. The most recent attack — a suicide bombing near Islamabad’s Judicial Complex on November 11 — claimed 12 lives and injured at least 36 others, including lawyers and petitioners.

Pakistan has witnessed a sharp increase in cross-border terrorism since the Taliban returned to power in Afghanistan in 2021. KP and Balochistan, the provinces closest to the Afghan border, remain the most affected.

A police report revealed that KP alone faced more than 600 terror incidents in the first eight months of 2025, resulting in the martyrdom of 79 police personnel and 138 civilians.