ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s security forces gunned down 10 militants “actively involved in terrorist activities” in the country’s northwestern Tank district on Tuesday, the army’s media wing said.

Pakistan has vowed to defeat militants after a sharp increase in attacks mainly in the country’s northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. Last Friday, two suicide blasts in Pakistan’s Mastung and Hangu cities claimed the lives of 65 people and injured scores of others.

On Tuesday, security forces conducted an intelligence-based operation on the reported presence of militants in Pezu, Tank district, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said in a statement.

“Resultantly, ten terrorists were sent to hell,” the army’s media wing said. “These terrorists remained actively involved in numerous terrorist activities against security forces as well as extortion & killing of innocent civilians.”

The ISPR said a large cache of arms, ammunition, and explosives was recovered during the operation.

“Security forces of Pakistan are determined to eliminate the menace of terrorism from the country,” it said.

Pakistan’s security forces and civilians have increasingly suffered casualties in militant attacks since the Afghan Taliban took over Kabul in August 2021. Emboldened Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) militants have stepped up attacks from Afghanistan against Pakistan since a fragile truce between Islamabad and the TTP broke down in November last year.

The TTP, which seeks to impose its own, strict version of Islamic law across the country, has carried out some of the deadliest attacks against Pakistan’s security forces and civilians since 2007.

On Tuesday, Pakistan’s caretaker interior minister said 14 of the 24 suicide bombings that have taken place in the country since January were conducted by Afghans. He gave illegal immigrants in the country till Nov. 1 to leave Pakistan or else face deportation.