ISLAMABAD: Security forces killed seven militants and wounded five during an intelligence-based operation in northwestern Pakistan, the army’s media wing said on Thursday, vowing that the military would wipe out “terrorism” from the South Asian country. 

Pakistan’s security forces have stepped up operations against militants in the country’s tribal districts bordering Afghanistan in the northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province in recent months.

The exchange of fire between security forces and the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) or Pakistani Taliban militants took place in KP’s Kurram district on Aug. 15, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said. 

“On August 15, security forces conducted an intelligence-based operation in Kurram district on the reported presence of Khwarij,” the army’s media wing said, referring to the TTP for which it has recently started using the term “Fitna Al Khwarij.” 

“During the conduct of the operation, own troops effectively engaged the Khwarij’s location as a result of which seven Khwarij of Fitna Al Khwarij were sent to hell while five of them got injured.”

A large number of weapons, ammunition and explosives were recovered from the militants, the army said, highlighting that the slain “terrorists” were actively involved in militant activities against security forces and civilians. 

“A sanitization operation was being conducted to eliminate any other terrorists found in the area,” the army concluded.

The development takes place a day after the army said four soldiers and six militants were killed during a gunbattle in northwestern Pakistan earlier this week. The exchange of fire between security forces and TTP militants took place in the South Waziristan district of the KP province on the night of August 12. 

Pakistan has witnessed a surge in militant activities since the TTP unilaterally called off a fragile ceasefire with the government in November 2022.

Much of the TTP’s militant activity has been confined to the country’s western provinces, prompting security officials to launch intelligence-based operations against its fighters who are reportedly armed with sophisticated military equipment, including night vision devices.

The surge in attacks has also dealt a blow to Pakistan’s ties with Afghanistan, whom Islamabad accuses of providing sanctuary to militants. Kabu denies the allegations and says militant groups do not use Afghan soil to launch attacks against any country. 

Pakistan this year launched aerial strikes against what it said were militant groups in Afghanistan, drawing a sharp reaction from the Taliban government. Islamabad has warned Kabul it will carry out cross-border action against militants to protect its citizens.