By Staff Reporter
ISLAMABAD: Security forces killed four terrorists on Friday after thwarting a suicide attack on a military camp in the restive North Waziristan district, according to state-run Pakistan Television, amid a sharp escalation in militant violence and cross-border tensions with Afghanistan.
The attack unfolded in the Mir Ali area, where one terrorist drove an explosives-laden vehicle into the camp’s wall, allowing three accomplices to attempt an entry, PTV reported, citing sources. Security forces responded swiftly, eliminating the three intruders outside the perimeter. No losses were reported among the troops.
“As a result of security forces’ timely and courageous action, the three khawarij were killed outside the camp,” the report said. “Security forces did not suffer any losses in the incident. In the last two days alone, 88 terrorists supported by the Afghan Taliban have been killed.”
The term “khawarij,” meaning outcasts, is used by authorities to describe terrorists, a designation formalised in July when the government labeled the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), as Fitna al Khawarij and required all institutions to refer to such militants accordingly.
Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi commended the forces for their handling of the incident. “Salute to the brave soldiers who thwarted the evil intentions of Khawarij,” he said in a statement from his ministry. “Security forces took timely action and brought the khawarij to an exemplary end,” adding that the nation was “proud of the brave soldiers.”
The foiled assault followed a day after the military’s public relations wing, the Inter-Services Public Relations, said that 34 “India-backed” terrorists had been killed in operations across North Waziristan, South Waziristan and Bannu districts in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province over the preceding three days.
Pakistan has seen a marked increase in terrorist attacks, particularly in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan Provinces, with militants frequently targeting police, law enforcement and security personnel. The uptick began after the banned TTP ended a ceasefire with the government in 2022. Last week, 11 military personnel, including a lieutenant colonel and a major, were killed during an intelligence-based operation in Orakzai District of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, where 19 terrorists were also reported dead.
In a follow-up “retribution operation,” the military said it had eliminated 30 terrorists linked to the incident. The next day, another officer was killed in an operation in Dera Ismail Khan District, along with seven terrorists. Islamabad has repeatedly accused Afghanistan of harboring TTP militants, urging Kabul to curb cross-border attacks, even as Afghan officials have denied the claims. In May, Pakistan went further, designating terrorist groups in Balochistan as Fitna al Hindustan, a term intended to highlight what officials describe as India’s role in sponsoring destabilising activities.
The latest incident occurred against a backdrop of heightened friction between Pakistan and Afghanistan, following border clashes over the weekend that prompted airstrikes by Islamabad in Kabul and Kandahar. The two sides agreed to a 48-hour ceasefire to de-escalate. On Thursday, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif signaled that any dialogue on cross-border terrorism would require Afghanistan to act first. He made it clear that he expected Kabul to make the first move if it was serious about resolving the issue through talks.
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