At least 10 terrorists from banned outfit Fitnal Khawarij were killed and eight injured in separate operations in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s North Waziristan district on Sunday as intelligence based operations continue in KP and Balochistan, the military’s media said.

In a statement, the Inter-Services Public Relations said that two Khwarij were killed in an exchange of fire with security forces in an intelligence based operation in the general area of Spinwam, North Waziristan.

In another incident, security forces picked up the movement of a terrorist group, who were trying to infiltrate through the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, in the general area of Spinwam.

“Own troops effectively engaged and thwarted their attempt to infiltrate,” it said and added that two terrorists were killed while two got injured.

“Sanitisation operations are being conducted to eliminate any other Kharji found in the area. Security Forces of Pakistan are determined and remain committed to secure its borders and eliminate the menace of terrorism from the country,” it said.

Earlier in the day, the ISPR said that six militants were killed and six others wounded in a security operation in the Spinwam area.

The operation was launched following intelligence reports about the presence of militants, according to the statement. Weapons and ammunition were recovered from the site.

“The killed militants were involved in terrorist activities and the murder of innocent civilians,” it said.

A clearance operation was also conducted to eliminate any potential remaining threat in the area.

Earlier this year, the government designated the banned TTP as Fitna al Khawarij while mandating all institutions to use the term khariji (outcast) when referring to the perpetrators of terrorist attacks on Pakistan.

Pakistan has seen an increase in militancy since the Afghan Taliban returned to power in 2021, with the Pakistani chapter of the movement carrying out attacks mostly targeting security forces.

At least four Frontier Corps soldiers were martyred in an exchange of fire with terrorists from the banned Fitnal Khawarij group in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s South Waziristan district on Thursday.

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Last month, 10 police were martyred and seven wounded at a check post near the Afghan border in DI Khan. About 20 to 25 militants launched a heavy assault on a post of the Frontier Constabulary, a police assistance force in the district said.

The outlawed TTP historically has roots in Afghanistan and shares the same ideology as the Afghan Taliban.

Islamabad says such attacks are being launched from neighbouring Afghanistan by various militant groups, many linked to the TTP, which the Taliban authorities in Kabul deny.