Security forces have killed 74 terrorists during intelligence-based operations (IBOs) in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and Balochistan, said a statement by the military’s media wing on Friday.

In a breakdown of casualties from operations conducted in KP over the past 48 hours, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said 35 terrorists were killed in Mir Ali, North Waziristan district, while eight others were killed in Orakzai district.

“In a determined effort to eliminate terrorist threats and dismantle the khwarij networks, security forces are conducting a series of intelligence-based operations in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. These operations have been further expanded to the areas of Mir Ali and Orakzai,” said ISPR.

Elaborating further, the military’s media wing said that “intense and fierce exchanges of fire” took place, dealing a “significant blow” to the networks operated by the terrorists in the areas.

Fitna-al-Khawarij is a term the state uses for terrorists belonging to the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan.

A large cache of weapons, ammunition and explosives, including homemade explosives and improvised explosive devices (IEDs), was also recovered during sanitisation, the military’s media wing said, adding that the recoveries had thwarted the “nefarious designs” of the terrorists to use the materials in terrorist activities.

The ISPR further said that sanitisation operations continue in the areas to “eliminate holed up khwarij”.

President, PM pay tribute to security forces

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif paid tribute to security forces personnel for eliminating terrorists in an intelligence-based operation in Kurram, state-run APP reported.

An official statement carried by APP said the prime minister praised the professional expertise and courage of security forces personnel for destroying several terrorist hideouts and recovering a large cache of arms, ammunition and explosives during the operation.

He noted that the security forces were working round the clock to foil the “nefarious designs of anti-state elements”.

The prime minister reaffirmed that the fight against foreign-sponsored terrorism would continue with full force under the National Action Plan (NAP) until terrorism was eliminated from the country.

President Asif Ali Zardari also paid tribute to the security forces for carrying out intelligence-based operations against terrorists.

According to a statement issued by the Presidency, the president said the security forces’ continued successes in the fight against terrorism reflected their professional capabilities.

“The recovery of weapons, ammunition and explosives from the possession of terrorists demonstrated the effectiveness of the security forces’ action”, he said.

He added that the ambitions of “externally sponsored terrorists seeking to undermine Pakistan’s peace and stability will not be allowed to succeed”.

IBOs in Balochistan

Security forces have killed 31 terrorists since Nov 3 during a “comprehensive intelligence-based area sanitisation operation” against India-backed Fitna al Khawarij and Fitna al Hindustan in the Kurram area of Quetta district, the military’s media wing said.

The state has designated Balochistan-based terrorist groups as Fitna al-Hindustan to highlight India’s alleged role in terrorism and destabilisation across Pakistan.

“During the conduct of these intelligence-based operations, multiple terrorist hideouts were effectively engaged and after multiple engagements, thirty one Indian sponsored khwarij were sent to hell. Weapons, ammunition and explosives were also recovered from the Khwariji locations,” said ISPR.

“Sanitisation operations are being conducted to eliminate any other India-sponsored terrorist found in the area,” the statement read, adding that a relentless counterterrorism campaign under the vision “Azm-i-Istehkam” will continue at full pace to “wipe out [the] menace of foreign-sponsored and supported terrorism from the country”.

The country’s security environment continued to show considerable volatility from October 30 to November 5, 2026, with renewed terrorist activity in parts of KP and the former tribal districts, alongside intensified counterterrorism operations and changing patterns of militant violence, according to the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS).

Per the latest PICSS Weekly Insight, 49 militant attacks were recorded nationwide during the reporting period, compared with 31 in the preceding week. These incidents resulted in 25 fatalities and 21 injuries.

On October 8, security forces killed nine terrorists in an IBO in North Waziristan, while a day earlier, 18 terrorists were eliminated in separate engagements in KP and Balochistan.