22 terrorists taken out in Bannu IBO

Security forces killed 22 Indian-sponsored terrorists during an intelligence-based operation (IBO) in Bannu district of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) on Monday, the military said in a statement issued Tuesday.

According to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the operation targeted the reported presence of "Khwarij belonging to an Indian proxy, Fitna al-Khwarij" – a term used for terrorists associated with the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).

"On 24 November 2025, security forces conducted an intelligence-based operation in Bannu District on the reported presence of Khwarij belonging to the Indian proxy, Fitna al-Khwarij," the ISPR statement said.

"During the operation, our troops effectively engaged the Khwarij location and, after an intense exchange of fire, 22 Khwarij were neutralised," the military's media wing added.

Following the IBO, sanitisation operations are underway to eliminate any remaining Indian-sponsored Khwarij in the area.

"The relentless counter-terrorism campaign under the vision 'Azm-e-Istehkam' (as approved by the Federal Apex Committee on the National Action Plan) by Pakistan's security forces and law enforcement agencies will continue at full pace to eradicate foreign-sponsored terrorism from the country," the statement said. The IBO followed hours after paramilitary Federal Constabulary (FC) soldiers fought off multiple assailants, including a suicide bomber, attempting to storm their headquarters in Peshawar during a morning parade.

The suicide attack claimed the lives of three soldiers and left 11 others injured, including seven civilians. Officials said that two terrorists trying to force their way into the compound were eliminated in a fierce gunfight.

President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, meanwhile, commended the security forces for their successful operation against the Khwarij in Bannu. Both leaders praised the troops for their timely and effective response in eliminating 22 terrorists of the Indian-backed Fitna al-Khwarij.

"Eliminating the Indian-backed Khwarij is the government's top priority. The martyrs and war veterans (Ghazis) are the pride of the nation," President Zardari said, saluting the soldiers' courage.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif emphasised national solidarity with the armed forces, stating, "We are determined to purge the country of terrorism in all of its forms."

(WITH INPUT FROM APP)