9 militants, two security personnel killed in separate security operations in Pakistan's KP

9 militants, two security personnel killed in separate security operations in Pakistan's KP

At least nine militants and two security personnel were killed in two separate engagements in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan, an ISPR statement said on Saturday.

Seven terrorists were killed when security forces conducted an intelligence-based operation in Mohmand district on Friday night, the ISPR said.

However, two soldiers were also killed during the intense fire exchange, the statement said.

In another encounter in Maddi area of Dera Ismail Khan district, two terrorists were killed in the exchange of fire between security personnel and militants, the statement said.

The ISPR said weapons and ammunition were also recovered from the possession of the killed militants, who were actively involved in numerous terrorist activities across the province.

It said sanitization operations were ongoing to eliminate the presence of any other militants in the area.

Pakistan has witnessed an uptick in terror activities recently, especially in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan provinces, after the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) militant group ended its ceasefire with the government in November 2022.

February saw a marginal increase in terrorist attacks but a sharp surge in civilian casualties, according to a report published by an Islamabad-based think tank, Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS).

According to PICSS, the country witnessed 79 terrorist attacks last month, resulting in the deaths of 55 civilians and 47 security personnel, while 45 civilians and 81 security personnel were injured.

Security forces, meanwhile, intensified counter-terrorism operations, eliminating 156 terrorists, injuring 20, and arresting 66, the report said.