Security forces killed three Fitna al-Khawarij terrorists during an intelligence-based operation in Dera Ismail Khan district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Monday, according to security sources.
The operation was carried out on the basis of specific intelligence reports that confirmed the presence of the militants in the area. Sources said the action forms part of the ongoing campaign against terrorist groups across KP under the Azm-e-Istehkam vision.
Officials noted that continuous operations by security forces are proving effective in weakening terrorist networks in the province. This latest success comes just one day after forces eliminated eight India-backed terrorists in the same district. Among those killed in the earlier action were three key commanders of the same group.
Pakistan has faced a sharp rise in cross-border terrorist incidents, especially in KP and Balochistan, since the Afghan Taliban returned to power in 2021. The country recorded its highest monthly number of militant attacks in twelve years during September 2026.
Data compiled by the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies shows that 225 militant attacks took place across Pakistan in September, compared with 199 in August. This marks a 13 percent increase and the third consecutive month of rising violence.
Islamabad has repeatedly urged the Afghan authorities to stop militant organisations from using Afghan territory to launch attacks inside Pakistan. Pakistan maintains that the Afghan Taliban government has not taken effective steps against the groups responsible for targeting Pakistani security forces and civilians. Kabul has disputed this position.
Despite several rounds of talks, the two sides have not been able to resolve their differences. The presence of militant groups operating from Afghan soil remains a major point of disagreement between Islamabad and Kabul.
Security sources emphasised that intelligence-based operations will continue across the affected areas to further degrade the capacity of terrorist networks. The recent successes in Dera Ismail Khan demonstrate the determination of the security forces to maintain pressure on the militants and protect the people of KP.
