PESHAWAR: Security forces have gunned down 14 militants during intelligence-based operations in Pakistan’s western provinces bordering Afghanistan, the military’s media wing said on Saturday. 

The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said in a statement that nine militants belonging to the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) or Pakistani Taliban outfit were gunned down in two counter-terror operations in the northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province. These operations were carried out in the volatile districts of Tank and Lakki Marwat. 

In a later statement, the ISPR said security forces had killed five militants belonging to “Fitna al Hindustan” in southwestern Balochistan province’s Dera Bugti area. Pakistan’s military frequently refers to ethnic Baloch separatist outfits with this term, accusing India of backing and funding them. New Delhi rejects the allegations. 

“During the conduct of operation, own forces effectively engaged the terrorists’ location, and after an intense fire exchange, five Indian sponsored terrorists were sent to hell,” the military’s media wing said. 

The ISPR said weapons, ammunition and explosives were also recovered from the militants, alleging they were involved in numerous “terrorist” activities in the area.

Pakistan also refers to fighters of the TTP as “khwarij,” a term from early Islamic history used to describe an extremist sect that rebelled against authority. 

The military also alleges the group receives arms and funding from the Indian government, a charge New Delhi denies.

It said follow-up “sanitization operations” were underway as part of the country’s counterterrorism campaign under Azm-e-Istehkam, approved by the Federal Apex Committee of the National Action Plan, which aims to eliminate what it called foreign-supported militant threats in the country.