By Staff Reporter
ISLAMABAD: Security forces killed 14 terrorists in a military operation in the Datta Khel area of North Waziristan district, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, the military’s media wing announced Wednesday.
The operation, carried out on June 2-3, 2025, targeted Indian backed militants, intensifying a narrative of foreign interference in the country’s ongoing battle against terrorism.
“On June 2-3 2025, an intelligence-based operation was conducted by the security forces in the general area Datta Khel, North Waziristan District, on the reported presence of khwarij belonging to Indian proxy, Fitna-al-Khawarij,” the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the public affairs arm of Pakistan’s military said in a statement. The government applies Fitna-al-Khawarij to terrorists, particularly those linked to the outlawed Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).
The accusation gained official weight in July 2024, when the government designated the TTP as Fitna al Khawarij and mandated that all institutions refer to its members as “khariji.” The move aimed to cast the group as a deviant faction, aligning with Pakistan’s broader counterterrorism rhetoric.
“After an intense exchange of fire, fourteen Indian sponsored khwarij were sent to hell,” the statement said. The military said sanitisation operations are being conducted to eliminate any other Indian sponsored Kharji found in the area. The ISPR emphasized the security forces’ resolve, stating they “are determined to wipe out the menace of Indian-sponsored terrorism from the country.”
The operation follows a month of strained relations between Pakistan and India, though militant activity within Pakistan has not surged dramatically despite the tensions. The Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS), an independent think tank in Islamabad, reported 85 militant attacks in May 2025, up slightly from 81 in April. Those attacks claimed 113 lives, including 52 security forces personnel, 46 civilians, 11 militants, and four peace committee members. The data suggests that while violence persists, militant groups have not capitalised significantly on the regional standoff.
The government has repeatedly pointed the finger at India for stoking terrorism within its borders. Last month, security forces killed nine Indian-sponsored terrorists in a series of operations in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
The operation in North Waziristan comes amid a persistent wave of violence in Pakistan’s northwest and southwest. Terrorist activities have climbed in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan since November 2022, when the TTP ended a ceasefire with the government. The group, long a thorn in Pakistan’s side, has been blamed for numerous attacks, which Islamabad says are fueled by external support.
Copyright © 2021 Independent Pakistan | All rights reserved
