According to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), security forces eliminated 23 militants, including a senior ring leader, during intelligence-driven counter-terrorism operations across North Waziristan, Spinwam and Bannu in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
The military’s media wing said the operations were launched as part of an ongoing campaign to disrupt terror networks and neutralise threats. Acting on credible intelligence, security forces widened operations to hotspots such as Datta Khel, Spinwam and Bannu.
ISPR said troops conducted multiple intelligence-based raids over the past 48 hours and clashed with militants in the targeted areas. Following fierce firefights, 23 militants identified by the military as part of “Indian-sponsored Fitna-al-Khwarij” were killed.
Jan Meer, also known as Toor Saqib, was among those eliminated. Security agencies had identified him as a militant ringleader wanted for alleged involvement in numerous attacks, including incidents that killed security personnel and civilians; authorities had placed a reward for information leading to him.
The military reported that a large cache of weapons, ammunition, explosives and prepared improvised explosive devices (IEDs) was recovered during the operations. The statement said the militants killed had allegedly remained active in carrying out attacks in the area.
During follow-up sanitisation, security forces found and destroyed an underground network of tunnels and bunkers reportedly used by militants for concealment and operational activity.
ISPR said clearance operations are ongoing to locate and eliminate any remaining militants in the affected areas. It added that the broader counter-terrorism campaign under the ‘Azm-e-Istehkam’ vision, approved by the Federal Apex Committee on the National Action Plan, will continue in coordination with security and law enforcement agencies nationwide.