ISLAMABAD, Oct 18,2025: In a major counter-terrorism success, Pakistan’s security forces eliminated at least 18 Khawarij militants, including a top commander, in a series of intelligence-based operations (IBOs) across North Waziristan and Lakki Marwat, officials confirmed on Saturday.
The operations targeted terrorist hideouts affiliated with the banned Fitnat al-Khawarij group, which authorities say is operating as a proxy of hostile foreign agencies, including those linked to the Afghan Taliban and Indian intelligence networks.
According to security sources, a suicide attack attempt on a military camp in Mir Ali, North Waziristan, was successfully foiled. One militant rammed an explosives-laden vehicle into the camp’s outer wall, followed by an attempted incursion by three more terrorists — all of whom were neutralized without any casualties among security forces.
Questions remain over Qatar-mediated talks between Pakistan and Afghanistan in absence of clarity over who will attend.https://t.co/LtepexxZbm
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In another high-stakes operation in Tingkuli, Datta Khel, forces killed six militants, including a notorious commander Mahboob alias Muhammad, after eight to ten days of surveillance. Three other militants were injured.
Meanwhile, eight more Khawarij fighters were eliminated in Lakki Marwat’s Sultan Khel area, where ground and aerial surveillance led to a swift and decisive strike.
Security forces also seized a vehicle carrying hundreds of kilograms of explosives in Bajaur, preventing what officials said could have been a mass-casualty attack targeting civilian populations.
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In the past four days alone, over 100 Khawarij militants have been killed in cross-border infiltration attempts and IBOs across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, including Mohmand, South Waziristan, and Bannu, as part of intensified operations under the National Action Plan.
According to ISPR, these operations aim to dismantle terror infrastructure and safeguard national security amid rising threats from foreign-backed militants infiltrating via Afghanistan.
