The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) on Saturday said security forces killed eight terrorists in a raid carried out in Dera Ismail Khan – the southernmost district of militancy-hit Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.
It was an intelligence-based operation, the military’s media wing said, adding that the terrorists had been killed after an intense exchange of fire and that they were involved in terrorism acts as well as targeted killings.
A large quantity of arms, ammunition and explosives had been recovered from their possession, the ISPR and added that the forces were busy in a sensitisation operation in the area to wipe out their possible associates and facilitators.
The ISPR mentioned that the locals praised the security forces for conducting the operation and they were determined to root out the menace of terrorism from the country.
Dera Ismail Khan – commonly known as DI Khan – is one of those districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, which had been worst affected by the return of terrorism triggered by the former PTI government in Centre to allow the TTP members and their families to resettle in different parts of the province, especially the erstwhile tribal region.
A recent report shows that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has witnessed a rise in terrorism acts and Dera Ismail tops the lists followed by other districts in the region.
Earlier in the day, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said disciplinary action would be taken against the Hazara regional police officer (RPO) as well as other officials over their failure to thwart the Shangla terror attack.
The rise in terrorism across the province is part of conspiracies designed to sabotage the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and destabilise the country as well as the entire region amid the government efforts to attract foreign investment for reviving the country’s economy.
