Security forces gun down militant 'actively involved in terrorist activities'

RAWALPINDI: Security forces on Wednesday gunned down a terrorist "actively involved in terrorist activities" during an exchange of fire in the Spinwam area of North Waziristan district, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) revealed.

The military's media wing, in a statement released in this regard, mentioned that the killed terrorist remained actively involved in terrorist activities against security forces and civilians.

"Locals of the area appreciated the response and expressed their full support to eliminate the menace of terrorism," the ISPR added.

Pakistan is facing a slew of terror with two major attacks observed in a span of one month. Last week, terrorists attacked the Karachi police office during which four people — including Rangers and police personnel — lost their lives, and 18 people were injured.

Moreover, a similar but more intense incident was reported in late January when a suicide blast was heard in Peshawar as hundreds of worshippers gathered for noon prayers in a mosque that was purpose-built for the police and their families living in a highly fortified zone, with authorities saying that a member of a militant network was behind the attack.

In view of the situation, security forces have concluded around 6,921 anti-terrorist operations, killed 142 militants, and arrested 1,007 across the country in the past three months to purge the nation from the scourge of terrorism.

The security forces have not only arrested terrorists and their facilitators but have also foiled several attacks in the last three months.

In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, around 1,960 operations were conducted including 1,516 area domination operations, 301 intelligence-based operations (IBOs), and 143 area sanitisation operations. During these counter-terrorism combats, 98 terrorists were killed and 540 were arrested.

In Balochistan, the security forces conducted 3,414 operations comprising 2,980 area domination operations, 67 IBOs, and 367 area sanitisation operations in which 40 terrorists were killed and 112 were arrested.

In Sindh, 752 IBOs were conducted in which security forces gunned down three terrorists and arrested 344.

Meanwhile, in Punjab, 165 IBOs were carried out, during which one terrorist was eliminated and 11 were apprehended.