North Waziristan Operation: 16 Terrorists Killed
Security forces killed 16 terrorists and lost two soldiers in a North Waziristan operation over the past 12 hours, the military’s media wing said on Saturday.
The operations targeted several locations in Mir Ali, Datta Khel and surrounding areas of the district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said. Twelve of those killed died in Ali Khel, including two Afghan nationals, while two each were killed in Mir Ali and Datta Khel.
The two soldiers who were martyred
The ISPR named the two soldiers as Havildar Asmat Ali, 43, a resident of Swabi district, and Naik Aftab Ali, 32, from Mardan district. It said both fought gallantly before making the ultimate sacrifice.
Weapons and ammunition were recovered from the killed terrorists, the statement said. It added that the terrorists had remained involved in numerous terrorist activities, including the killing of innocent civilians.
President Asif Ali Zardari paid tribute to the security forces for the successful operation and expressed condolences over the martyrdom of the two soldiers. He said operations under the ongoing Azm-i-Istehkam campaign against foreign-sponsored terrorism would continue with full force until the elimination of the last terrorist.
The ISPR said sanitisation operations would continue to clear remaining militants from the areas. It added that the counterterrorism campaign would continue at full pace to wipe out foreign-sponsored terrorism from the country.
Fitna al-Khawarij is the term the state uses for terrorists belonging to the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).
Second North Waziristan operation in two days
The operation came a day after security forces killed 74 terrorists in operations in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan. On Friday, 43 terrorists were killed in the province, including 35 in Mir Ali in North Waziristan and eight in Orakzai district. Another 31 were killed in Balochistan during an operation launched on November 3. The full account of that operation is in our earlier report.
The two days of operations show the pace of the current campaign in the north-west. Security forces have stepped up intelligence-based operations in the tribal districts in recent weeks, and the latest strikes hit the same Mir Ali area that saw the heaviest fighting on Friday.
Earlier operations followed the same pattern. A counterterrorism operation in Barkhan killed 10 militants, a commander was killed in Bannu and three militants were killed in Mir Ali. The army was also deployed in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in aid of civil power.
A threat that keeps growing
Pakistan has seen a surge in terrorism, especially in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, since the banned TTP ended its ceasefire deal with the government in November 2022 and vowed to increase attacks.
Data from the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data project, a global monitoring organisation, shows attacks in Pakistan rose nearly fourfold to 2,425 in 2025, up from 658 in 2022. The scale of the threat kept growing in 2026. Two security reports presented to the federal cabinet in October showed terrorist incidents in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa had increased by 195 per cent between March 2024 and September 2026.
The same reports found that 73 per cent of attacks recorded in the province during 2026 had targeted police and security personnel. The use of drones and improvised explosive devices had emerged as a growing threat.
Pakistan has repeatedly accused the Afghan Taliban authorities of allowing the banned 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 the group was being afforded greater liberty and support by Afghanistan’s de facto authorities.
Frequently asked questions
How many terrorists were killed in the North Waziristan operation?
Sixteen terrorists were killed, including two Afghan nationals. Twelve died in Ali Khel, while two each were killed in Mir Ali and Datta Khel, according to the ISPR.
Who were the soldiers martyred in the operation?
Havildar Asmat Ali, 43, from Swabi district, and Naik Aftab Ali, 32, from Mardan district. The ISPR said both fought gallantly before making the ultimate sacrifice.
Where did the operation take place?
The intelligence-based operations targeted several locations in Mir Ali, Datta Khel and surrounding areas of North Waziristan district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, over the past 12 hours.
What is Fitna al-Khawarij?
It is the term the state uses for terrorists belonging to the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), which ended its ceasefire with the government in November 2022.
How does this operation fit into the wider campaign?
It came a day after 74 terrorists were killed in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan. The campaign runs under Azm-i-Istehkam, approved by the Federal Apex Committee on the National Action Plan.
