Security forces killed 74 terrorists during intelligence-based operations in Balochistan and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said on Friday. In a statement, the military's media wing said, “Over the last 48 hours, during the conduct of this series of intelligence-based operations, own troops effectively engaged multiple khawarij locations,” the ISPR said. It added that following intense and fierce exchanges of fire, 35 terrorists belonging to Fitna-al-Khawarij were killed in Mir Ali and eight terrorists were killed in Orakzai. The statement said that the operations K-P were part of efforts to “eliminate terrorist threats and dismantle the khawarij networks” and had been expanded to Mir Ali and Orakzai. The statement said the operations had dealt “a significant blow to the khawarij networks operating in these areas”. The military's media wing further said that a huge cache of weapons, ammunition and explosives had been recovered during sanitisation operations. The recovered material included “homemade explosives and improvised explosive devices”, which the ISPR said had thwarted the terrorists' plans to use the material in terrorist activities. “Sanitization operations continue to eliminate holed-up khawarij from these areas,” the statement said. In a separate statement, the military's media wing said, "In continuation of the counter-terrorism campaign, from November 3 onwards, security forces are conducting comprehensive intelligence-based area sanitisation operations in Kurram area of District Quetta against Indian backed Fitna Al Khawarij & Fitna Al Hindustan in Balochistan." Multiple terrorist hideouts were effectively engaged, and after multiple engagements, 31 terrorists were killed during the intelligence-based operations. It added that “weapons, ammunition and explosives” had also been recovered from the hideouts following the engagements. The ISPR said the operation was part of the ongoing counter-terrorism campaign against foreign-sponsored terrorism in the country. “Relentless Counter Terrorism campaign under vision ‘Azm e Istehkam’ (as approved by Federal Apex Committee on National Action Plan) by Security Forces and Law Enforcement Agencies of Pakistan will continue at full pace,” the statement said. The statement stated that the campaign would continue “to wipe out menace of foreign-sponsored and supported terrorism from the country”. The military's media wing reiterated that security forces and law enforcement agencies would maintain the pace of operations under the “Azm-e-Istehkam” vision. Political leadership praises security forces President Asif Ali Zardari praised security forces for the successful intelligence-based operations in K-P, saying their continued successes in the fight against terrorism reflected national resolve and professional capabilities. صدرِ مملکت آصف علی زرداری کا خیبر پختونخواہ میں دہشت گردوں کے خلاف کامیاب انٹیلی جنس بیسڈ آپریشن میں 31 دہشت گردوں کو ہلاک کرنے پر سیکیورٹی فورسز کو خراجِ تحسین۔ دہشت گردی کے خلاف جنگ میں سیکیورٹی فورسز کی مسلسل کامیابیاں قومی عزم اور پیشہ ورانہ صلاحیتوں کا مظہر ہیں: صدر آصف علی… — The President of Pakistan (@PresOfPakistan) November 13, 2026 In a statement, the president said operations against foreign-sponsored terrorist elements seeking to undermine Pakistan's security should continue. He said the recovery of weapons, ammunition and explosives from the terrorists' possession demonstrated the effectiveness of the security forces' operations. Zardari said the complete elimination of foreign-sponsored terrorist networks belonging to Fitna al-Khawarij and Fitna al-Hindustan was a national security imperative. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also praised security forces and paid tribute to the officers and personnel involved in the operation. He also commended the security forces for effectively destroying multiple terrorist hideouts and recovering a large quantity of weapons, ammunition and explosives during the operation, praising their professionalism and courage. Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi also praised security forces, commending their professional capabilities and exceptional courage in foiling terrorist designs. Naqvi paid tribute to the security forces for killing a large number of terrorists, saying their personnel had demonstrated courage and professionalism in the operations. “I salute the security forces for sending a large number of terrorists to hell,” he said. He added that the security forces personnel were a source of pride for the nation, describing them as its “proud asset”. “Security forces personnel are working day and night to foil the nefarious designs of anti-state elements,” the prime minister said. Terrorism is a growing problem for Pakistan, with the number of attacks rising every year since 2022, according to Armed Conflict Location & Event Data (ACLED), a global monitoring organisation. Data from ACLED shows attacks in Pakistan rose nearly fourfold to 2,425 in 2025 from 658 in 2022. Read more: Soldier martyred, 17 terrorists killed in Balochistan IBOs: ISPR The scale of the threat continued to grow in 2026. Two security reports presented to the federal cabinet in October showed that terrorist incidents in K-P had increased by 195 per cent between March 2024 and September 2026. The reports also found that 73 per cent of attacks recorded in the province during 2026 had targeted police and security personnel, while the use of drones and improvised explosive devices (IEDs) had emerged as growing threats. A day earlier, security forces had foiled an attack on Kandawa Post along National Highway N-25 in Balochistan's Mastung district, killing three terrorists in a retaliatory operation. According to a Balochistan Police spokesperson, the attackers had attempted to target the post using an explosives-laden vehicle. The explosion killed two civilians, identified as Kaleemullah and Bibi Laiba, and injured 16 others, including three Frontier Corps personnel and 13 civilians. The blast also damaged nearby houses and a mosque. Pakistan has repeatedly accused the Afghan Taliban authorities of allowing the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) to operate from Afghan territory and launch attacks inside Pakistan. A United Nations Security Council monitoring report published in February 2026 supported Islamabad's concerns, saying TTP attacks originating from Afghanistan had increased and that the group was being afforded greater liberty and support by Afghanistan's de facto authorities. The report also noted that Al Qaeda continued to provide training and support to TTP, while the group had acquired advanced weapons, including night-vision equipment and drone systems.