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Security forces killed 24 terrorists in a series of intelligence-based operations (IBOs) in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa's (K-P) Bannu district and adjoining areas over the past 24 hours, following a recent spike in attacks on police and vehicle-borne suicide bombing in the district, the military's media wing said on Friday.
According to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the operations were launched "in the backdrop of a recent surge in terrorist activities against Police and vehicle-borne suicide bombing in Bannu District, in which Indian Proxy Fitna Al Khawarij targeted law enforcement agencies and innocent civilians".
Fitna al-Khawarij is the term the state uses for terrorists belonging to the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).
"Security forces had initiated extensive joint intelligence-based operations to hunt the perpetrators of these heinous attacks and their support infrastructure," it added.
The military's media wing said, "In the last twenty-four hours following the fierce fire exchanges in Bannu district and adjoining areas, twenty-four khwarij belonging to Indian proxy Fitna Al Khwarij were killed".
The ISPR said weapons and ammunition were also recovered from the killed Khwarij, who "remained actively involved in numerous terrorist activities and the killing of innocent civilians".
"The operations in the area will continue and perpetrators of these heinous and cowardly acts will be brought to justice, as the relentless Counter Terrorism campaign under the vision “Azm-e-Istehkam” (as approved by the Federal Apex Committee on National Action Plan) by Security Forces and Law Enforcement Agencies of Pakistan will continue at full pace to wipe out the menace of foreign-sponsored and supported terrorism from the country," the statement concluded.
In a statement issued by the Prime Minister's Office, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif commended the security forces and law enforcement agencies.
"The timely and effective operations by the security forces against those responsible for the recent terrorist attacks, particularly the cowardly attacks targeting police personnel and innocent civilians in Bannu, are commendable," the prime minister said. He added that "the entire nation stands with its brave security personnel."
Reaffirming the government's commitment to counterterrorism, PM Shehbaz said, "The complete elimination of the scourge of terrorism and its facilitators remains the government's top priority."
President Asif Ali Zardari also paid tribute to the security forces for their successful operations against Fitna al-Khawarij in Bannu. The president said operations against Fitna al-Khawarij, active under Indian patronage, and its facilitators would be taken to their logical conclusion.