Pakistan's security forces kill 17 terrorists, bringing three-day toll to 71 PHOTO

Security forces in Pakistan have killed 17 terrorists in North Waziristan’s Hassan Khel area, near the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, the military’s media wing said.

This marks the latest success in a series of operations aimed at combating militancy in the region, Caliber.Az reports via Pakistani media.

A day earlier, on April 27, security forces neutralised 54 terrorists while they attempted to infiltrate into Pakistan through the same border area. The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) described the operation as the most successful in the ongoing campaign against terrorism, stating that the number of terrorists killed in a single engagement was the highest ever recorded.

In a statement issued on April 28, the ISPR detailed the operations: “A deliberate sanitisation operation was conducted in surrounding areas of Hassan Khel, North Waziristan District, along Pakistan-Afghanistan Border.” The statement further added, “During the conduct of the operation, seventeen more khawarij, who were operating on behest of their Indian masters, were hunted down and successfully neutralised.”

The term “khawarij,” which is used by the state to refer to terrorists, was employed to describe the militants killed. Additionally, a large cache of weapons, ammunition, and explosives was recovered from the slain terrorists, according to the ISPR.

The ISPR also noted that the total number of terrorists killed during the three-day anti-infiltration operation had risen to 71. The statement concluded with a strong commitment from the security forces, reaffirming that they are dedicated to securing Pakistan’s borders and preventing attempts to destabilize the country. “The security forces remain committed to securing the nation’s frontiers and thwart attempts at sabotaging the peace, stability, and progress of Pakistan,” it said.

Pakistan has seen a surge in terrorist activities over the past year, particularly in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and Balochistan provinces, since the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) ended its ceasefire with the government in November 2022.

The country has faced an increase in militant violence, with the number of attacks surpassing 100 for the first time since November 2014. According to the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies, the intensity of the violence and subsequent security operations escalated in March, as militant attacks surged.

In the Global Terrorism Index 2025, Pakistan ranked second, with the number of fatalities from terrorist attacks rising by 45 per cent in the past year, totaling 1,081 deaths.

By Vafa Guliyeva