Peshawar: Pakistan security forces killed 22 terrorists affiliated with the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) during an intelligence-based operation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Bannu district, the Military Media Wing announced Tuesday.

The operation, conducted on Monday following an intelligence report on the presence of terrorists, targeted a location of the militants described as "khawarij," a term the state uses for TTP operatives. The forces engaged in intense firefights resulting in the elimination of 22 militants, with a sanitisation sweep ongoing to clear any remaining threats, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) stated.

The ISPR emphasised that security forces and law enforcement agencies will maintain counter-terrorism operations at full intensity to eradicate terrorism from Pakistan.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif lauded the military for its success, affirming the nation’s support for the armed forces’ efforts in the anti-terrorism campaign. He reaffirmed the government's resolve to eradicate all forms of terrorism from the country.

The violence surge follows the cessation of a ceasefire between Pakistan’s government and the TTP in November 2022, with a recent string of attacks, including a suicide bombing on the Federal Constabulary’s headquarters in Peshawar on Monday, which killed three personnel and wounded 12 others.

With inputs from PTI