As many as eight terrorists were killed and two children were martyred in a gunbattle between security forces and anti-state elements in South Waziristan District, reported 24NewsHD TV channel on Thursday,
According to a statement issued by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the security forces launched an operation in Zinghara area of South Waziristan after receiving intelligence about the presence of terrorists there.
In the ensuing gunfight which also involved use of mortar fire, eight terrorists were killed, whereas two Army soldiers sustained injuries, the ISPR statement said.
The ISPR further said unfortunately two children who caught up in the shootout also embraced martyrdom during the exchange of fire.
Last week, security forces killed at least nine terrorists in two separate operations — six militants were killed during an intelligence-based operation (IBO) in Datta Khel area adjacent to North Waziristan district, and three more terrorists were shot dead in a follow-up sanitisation operation of the area.
Locals of the area appreciated the security forces’ response and expressed their full support to eliminate the menace of terrorism from the area, the ISPR had said in a statement following the operation.
Pakistan's security forces have conducted numerous operations against terrorism across the country, not only arresting them and their facilitators but also thwarting several attacks during the last three months.
Security forces have killed more than 150 terrorists during the last three months as operations to eliminate terrorism from the country continue. At least 1,007 terrorists were arrested during 6,921 operations by security forces across the country in the last three months.
At least 1,960 operations were conducted in total in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province, out of which 1,516 were area-domination operations, 301 were intelligence-based operations, and 143 were area-sanitisation operations.
As a result of the operations conducted by security forces, over 100 terrorists have been killed and more than 540 arrested in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Reporter Ahmad Mansoor