Security forces kill 3 terrorists in DI Khan IBO: state media

On Monday, security forces in Dera Ismail Khan district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa killed three terrorists during an intelligence-based operation, according to state media reports. President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed their commendation for the security forces' commendable efforts. President Zardari emphasized that these operations were crucial in weakening terrorist networks and thwarting their nefarious designs, which are allegedly supported externally.

The Prime Minister reiterated the state's commitment to completely eliminating the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), using the term Fitna al-Khawarij to describe them. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has been facing ongoing terrorist attacks and security challenges. In August, the province had recorded 54 terrorist attacks compared to 36 in July, representing a 50% increase, as per data from the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS).

The previous day, security forces had killed eight terrorists, including three key commanders in the DI Khan district. On September 30, three terrorists were eliminated in an operation in Mir Ali, and five terrorists were killed in Bara area a day before that. On Monday, four more terrorists were killed during an operation in Dera Ismail Khan.

Earlier that day, a suicide blast targeting the Aman Mela police checkpost in DI Khan's Darazinda tehsil resulted in the deaths of a dozen people and injuries to 35 others. On September 18, a major attack in the old Police Lines in Kohat claimed 23 lives and injured approximately 100 others, with eight terrorists being killed during an overnight clearance operation.

In September, security forces across the province killed over 20 terrorists during multiple engagements between September 3 and 5.