Pakistani security forces  killed several terrorists belonging to the banned Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) in multiple intelligence-based operations in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, authorities stated.

TTP militants opened fire on a police convoy led by District Police Officer (DPO) North Waziristan Waqar Khan along Miranshah Road in Bannu district, police said. The convoy was attacked by militants using automatic and heavy weapons. However, the DPO and other policemen retaliated, killing several terrorists, and causing others to flee from the scene.

Dawn quoted Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), saying that at least three terrorists were killed in two separate engagements in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. “Movement of a group of khwarij, opposite general area Esham, North Waziristan District, who were trying to infiltrate through Pakistan-Afghanistan border, was picked up by the security forces,” the statement noted.

Pakistan government had designated the banned terrorist outfit TTP as Fitna al Khawarij in July, mandating all institutions to use the term khariji (outcast) when referring to the perpetrators of terrorist attacks on Pakistan.

What is TTP?

The Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), commonly known as the Pakistani Taliban, is a designated terrorist organisation and militant group operating along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border. The group has been designated a terrorist organisation and is regarded as a group behind the recent surge in cross-border violence claiming numerous lives.

Pakistan accuses the Afghan Taliban of sheltering members of the TTP who allegedly carry out attacks inside Pakistan. However, Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi had earlier rejected the allegations during his visit to India, stating that no TTP members are operating from Afghan territory.