Four terrorists were killed by security forces in an intelligence-based operation (IBO) in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s North Waziristan district on Tuesday, according to the military’s media wing.

A press release issued by the Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) said security forces conducted the operation based on the reported presence of terrorists.

“During the conduct of operation, intense fire exchange took place between own troops and the terrorists, as a result of which four terrorists were sent to hell, including a suicide bomber,” the ISPR said.

It said the militants were “actively involved in numerous terrorist activities against the security forces and were planning to conduct a high profile terrorist attack, which was averted due to proactive response by the security forces”.

The ISPR added that arms, ammunition and explosives were also recovered from the terrorists.

“Sanitisation operation is being carried out to eliminate any other terrorist found in the area as the security forces of Pakistan are determined to wipe out the menace of terrorism from the country,” the ISPR said.

On Sunday, the ISPR said that three terrorists attempting to infiltrate the Pakistan-Afghanistan border were killed in the Batwar area of KP’s Bajaur district. Further, five terrorists were killed in an IBO in the general Mashkai area of Balochistan’s Awaran district.

On Saturday, the ISPR said five terrorists were killed during an operation in North Waziristan’s Mir Ali area.

Pakistan has witnessed an uptick in terror activities, especially in KP and Balochistan, after the banned militant Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan ended its ceasefire with the government in November 2022.

According to statistics released by the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies in December, the country witnessed the highest number of suicide attacks since 2014 in 2023, with nearly half of them targeting the security forces.

As many as 48 per cent of deaths and 58pc of injuries were inflicted upon security forces personnel.