SWAT: Four terrorists were killed during a joint intelligence-based operation (IBO) by security forces and law enforcement personnel in Swat district on Friday, according to a statement issued by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR).
The operation was launched based on reported presence of militants in the area, referred to as khwarij by the ISPR — a term used by the military to describe terrorists. “During the conduct of the operation, own troops effectively engaged the khwarij location, resultantly four khwarij were sent to hell,” the ISPR stated.
Security personnel also recovered weapons and ammunition from the deceased militants, who were said to be “actively involved in numerous terrorist activities in the area.”
A sanitisation operation is currently underway to ensure no remaining threat persists in the vicinity. The ISPR reiterated the commitment of Pakistan’s security forces, in coordination with law enforcement agencies, to eradicate terrorism from the country.
The incident comes amid a rise in militant violence across Pakistan, especially in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, following the collapse of a ceasefire between the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and the federal government in November 2022.
Just a day earlier, another operation in Dera Ismail Khan’s Maddi area saw four more terrorists killed. However, the firefight also claimed the life of 23-year-old Sepoy Basit Siddique, who was martyred in the line of duty.
March 2025 witnessed a dramatic surge in terrorist activity, with militant attacks exceeding 100 for the first time since November 2014, according to the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS).
In KP alone, 206 people lost their lives in March, including 49 security personnel, 34 civilians, and 123 militants. An additional 115 individuals were injured, the report noted.
Security forces continue to conduct aggressive counterterrorism operations in response to the escalating threat.
