Security forces killed 47 terrorists linked to Fitna al-Khawarij during operations conducted between August 7 and 9 in Balochistan’s Sambaza border region, security sources said.

According to the sources, the terrorists were attempting to cross the border when they were intercepted. Most of those killed were Afghan nationals, whose bodies fell on the Afghan side of the border.

For nearly two weeks, the bodies remained unclaimed, exposed to the open sky and preyed upon by scavenging animals, sources added.

It was only after a jirga with Afghan officials on August 25 that the remains were hauled onto donkeys and carried away.

Security officials described the action as a “major counter-terrorism success,” preventing the terrorists from launching large-scale attacks inside Pakistan.