ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s security forces carried out an intelligence-based operation in North Waziristan district, the army’s media wing, ISPR, said in a statement on Saturday, killing five militants involved in violent activities and other crimes in the area.
Pakistan has witnessed a surge in militant violence since the beginning of the year which has been claimed by various proscribed entities including the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) whose leadership is said to have taken sanctuary in neighboring Afghanistan.
Earlier this week, the top army generals decided in a huddle to deal with such militant factions and their facilitators with the “full might of the state” to restore peace in the country.
“On 29th December 2023, Security Forces conducted an Intelligence Based Operation (IBO) in area of Mir Ali, North Waziristan District, on reported presence of terrorists,” the ISPR said in its statement, adding that five militants, including their leader, were killed after intense exchange of fire.
“The terrorists remained actively involved in numerous terrorist activities against security forces as well as extortion and target killings of innocent civilians,” it added. “Weapons and ammunition were also recovered during the operation.”
The ISPR informed it had launched a “sanitization operation” to eliminate any other militant hiding in the area.
Pakistan has repeatedly requested Afghanistan not to allow armed factions like the TTP to use its territory to launch attacks in the neighborhood.
Officials in Islamabad also launched a deportation drive toward the end of the year to send all “illegal immigrants,” mostly Afghan nationals, to their country for security reasons.
Army says five militants killed in intelligence-based operation in Pakistan’s northwest
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Army says five militants killed in intelligence-based operation in Pakistan’s northwest
- The militants were suspected of launching attacks on security forces along with extortion and target killings
- Pakistan’s top army generals vowed to deal with militant factions with ‘full might of the state’ earlier this week
At ECO meeting, Pakistan proposes ‘Regional Innovation Hub’ to curb natural disasters
- Pakistan hosts high-level 10th ECO Ministerial Meeting on Disaster Risk Reduction in Islamabad
- Innovation hub to focus on early warning technologies, risk informed infrastructure planning
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has proposed to set up a “Regional Innovation Hub on Disaster Risk Reduction” that focuses on early warning technologies and risk informed infrastructure planning, the Press Information Department (PID) said on Wednesday, as Islamabad hosts a high-level meeting of the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO).
The ECO’s 10th Ministerial Meeting on Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) is being held from Jan. 21-22 at the headquarters of the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) in Pakistan’s capital.
The high-level regional forum brings together ministers, and senior officials from ECO member states, representatives of the ECO Secretariat and regional and international partner organizations. The event is aimed to strengthen collective efforts toward enhancing disaster resilience across the ECO region, the PID said.
“Key agenda items include regional cooperation on early warning systems, disaster risk information management, landslide hazard zoning, inclusive disaster preparedness initiatives, and Pakistan’s proposal to establish a Regional Innovation Hub on Disaster Risk Reduction, focusing on early warning technologies, satellite data utilization, and risk-informed infrastructure planning,” the statement said.
The meeting was attended by delegations from ECO member states including Pakistan, Türkiye, Azerbaijan, Iran, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. Representatives of regional and international organizations and development partners were also in attendance.
Discussions focused on enhancing regional coordination, harmonizing disaster risk reduction frameworks, and strengthening collective preparedness against transboundary and climate-induced hazards impacting the ECO region, the PID said.
ECO members states such as Pakistan, Türkiye, Afghanistan and others have faced natural calamities such as floods and earthquakes in recent years that have killed tens of thousands of people.
Heavy rains triggered catastrophic floods in Pakistan in 2022 and 2025 that killed thousands of people and caused damages to critical infrastructure, inflicting losses worth billions of dollars.
Islamabad has since then called on regional countries to join hands to cooperate to avert future climate disasters and promote early warning systems to avoid calamities in future.
