In July, the government, through an official notification, designated the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) as Fitna al Khawarij, while mandating all institutions to use the term khariji (outcast) when referring to the perpetrators of terrorist attacks on Pakistan.
According to a press release issued by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), a successful intelligence-based operation was conducted by the security forces yesterday in Pishin on the reported presence of militants.
“During the operation, five khawarij were apprehended and a large quantity of weapons, ammunition and explosives including three suicide vests were seized,” it said.
“Apprehended khawarij were involved in multiple terrorist attacks and were planning to target security forces as well as innocent civilians,” the ISPR highlighted.
In a separate incident, the press release added, “two khawarij were sent to hell” during a fire exchange with security forces in the Zhob district.
“In ensuing sanitisation of the area, weapons and ammunition were also recovered in large quantity,” it said.
Security forces of Pakistan remain steadfast in their commitment to eradicate terrorism from the country and protect innocent civilians from this menace, the ISPR asserted.
The Punjab Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) on Saturday said it had “foiled a major terror plan by arresting seven terrorists belonging to a banned organisation” during 129 intelligence-based operations (IBOs) across the province.
According to a statement issued today, the Punjab CTD conducted the IBOs in different districts, interrogating 129 suspects and arresting the seven terrorists, who belonged to the banned militant Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan and other organisations.
It added that they were arrested during IBOs in Lahore, Bhakkar, Attock, Wahari, Bahawalpur and Jhang.
The statement added that 1,190 grammes of explosives and two improvised explosive devices were among the weapons, explosives and other prohibited materials recovered from them.
The CTD spokesman said the terrorists had planned sabotage in the province and wanted to target important installations and other places, adding that seven cases were registered against them and further investigation was under way.
The statement said that 2,943 combing operations were conducted, 68,537 persons were checked, 257 suspects were arrested, 250 cases were registered and 179 recoveries were made in the past week.
Earlier on Oct 5th, 18 terrorists were arrested by the Punjab CTD.
The country has lately witnessed a sharp uptick in the number of attacks targeting security forces, other law enforcement agencies, and security checkpoints, particularly in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, although there was a reduction in the number of attacks last month according to a report by Pak Institute for Peace Studies.
PM, president hail security forces’s efforts
President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif paid tribute to the security forces for the successful operation, appreciating their professionalism in conducting operations against terrorists.
In their separate statements, the two leaders said the entire nation stands side by side with the security forces in foiling designs of the country’s foes and eradicating terrorism from Pakistani soil, Radio Pakistan reported.
President Zardari expressed the state’s determination to continue operations against terrorism, adding that the forces were fighting “valiantly”.
“The entire nation stands with the security forces in the war against terrorism,” he said.
The country has lately witnessed a sharp uptick in the number of attacks targeting security forces, other law enforcement agencies, and security checkpoints, particularly in Balochistan and KP.
Attacks escalated after the TTP broke a fragile ceasefire agreement with the government in 2022 and vowed to target security forces.
Last week, at least 21 miners were killed and six injured in an attack by armed men on a private coal mine in Balochistan’s Duki area. In August, a spate of deadly terror attacks across the province claimed at least 50 lives.
