Security forces have killed 22 terrorists during a joint intelligence-based operation (IBO) in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Khyber District, according to a statement issued by the military’s media wing, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), on Friday.
The operation was carried out on April 21 after reports of militant presence in the area. According to the ISPR, security forces and law enforcement agencies engaged the suspects in an intense exchange of fire, resulting in the deaths of 22 militants linked to what the state refers to as “Fitna al-Khwarij,” a term used for members of the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).
During the encounter, militants allegedly opened indiscriminate fire in an attempt to avoid capture, which led to the death of a 10-year-old child, the statement added.
Weapons and ammunition were also recovered from the site. The ISPR said the slain militants had been involved in multiple attacks in the region.
A follow-up sanitisation operation is ongoing to clear the area of any remaining militants.
The military reaffirmed its commitment to continuing counterterrorism efforts under the “Azm-i-Istehkam” strategy, aimed at eliminating militancy across the country. It said such incidents further strengthen the resolve to counter “foreign-sponsored terrorism.”
President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif praised the security forces for the successful operation. Both leaders also expressed grief over the death of the child, with the prime minister calling it a “crime against humanity.”
The development comes amid a rise in militant violence across Pakistan. A recent report by the Pak Institute for Peace Studies noted a 34 per cent increase in militant attacks in 2025, alongside a 21 per cent rise in related fatalities compared to the previous year.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has been particularly affected. Data from the Centre for Research and Security Studies shows that fatalities in the province rose significantly from 1,620 in 2024 to 2,331 in 2025.
In response to the resurgence in militancy, especially in KP and Balochistan, authorities have intensified counterterrorism operations. Last month, 13 militants were killed in multiple operations across KP, following a suicide attack in Bannu that claimed the lives of a lieutenant colonel and a soldier.
Earlier this year, ISPR Director General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry revealed that more than 75,000 intelligence-based operations were conducted nationwide in 2025 by security forces and law enforcement agencies.