ISLAMABAD: Pakistan's military said Friday that security forces killed 74 militants during intelligence-based operations in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan provinces.
In a breakdown of the casualties, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the military's media wing, said 35 militants were killed in Mir Ali in North Waziristan district and eight others in Orakzai Agency during the previous 48 hours.
The military described the operations as part of a "determined effort to eliminate terrorist threats and dismantle the khwarij networks." It said "intense and fierce exchanges of fire" took place and dealt a "significant blow" to the networks.
"Fitna al Khawarij" is a term the state uses for militants belonging to the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan.
The ISPR said a large cache of weapons, ammunition and explosives, including homemade explosives and improvised explosive devices, was recovered during sanitization operations, thwarting the militants' "nefarious designs." It said sanitization operations continue in the areas.
Separately, the military said security forces killed 31 militants since Nov. 3 during a "comprehensive intelligence-based area sanitization operation" against Indian-backed Fitna al Khawarij and Fitna al Hindustan in the Kurram area of Quetta district.
Pakistan has designated Balochistan-based militant groups as Fitna al-Hindustan to highlight India's alleged role in terrorism and destabilization across the country. India has long denied such allegations.
"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," the ISPR said, adding that weapons, ammunition and explosives were recovered.
The statement said a counterterrorism campaign under the vision "Azm e Istehkam" will continue at full pace to "wipe out [the] menace of foreign-sponsored and supported terrorism from the country."
