ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Army said on Monday a militant “ringleader” was among six insurgents killed in two intelligence-based operations in the northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.
In recent months, the military has launched frequent operations in the restive Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province bordering Afghanistan. The army’s target in the area is militants it says launch attacks inside Pakistan and against the army using safe havens in Afghanistan, a charge Kabul denies.
Groups like the Pakistani Taliban, commonly known as the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), have been waging a war against the Pakistani state for nearly two decades in a bid to overthrow the government and replace it with what they consider an Islamic system of governance.
“On 20-21 April 2025, six Khwarij [militants] were sent to hell in two separate engagements in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province,” the army said in a statement.
One operation was in the South Waziristan district, where the army said militant “ringleader” Zabi Ullah was killed. The statement said he had “remained actively involved in numerous terrorist activities against security forces as well as in target killing of innocent civilians and was highly wanted by the Law Enforcement Agencies.”
Another intelligence-based operation was conducted in Razmak, North Waziristan District, in which five militants were killed.
Militants have intensified their attacks since revoking a ceasefire with the government in late 2022, with recent months witnessing significant strikes targeting the military and its bases.
