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  "path": "/news/2002052/security-forces-kill-five-terrorists-including-wanted-commander-in-north-waziristan-ibo-security-sources",
  "publishedAt": "2026-05-21T15:17:19.000Z",
  "site": "https://www.dawn.com",
  "tags": [
    "Pakistan",
    "Fitna al Khawarij",
    "deaths",
    "report",
    "Annual Security Report 2025",
    "security personnel",
    "LEAs",
    "said",
    "killed"
  ],
  "textContent": "Security forces killed five terrorists, including a highly wanted militant leader, in a major intelligence-based operation (IBO) in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s North Waziristan district, security sources reported on Thursday.\n\nThe operation took place in the Spinwam area of ​​the district.\n\n“The leader of the _Fitna al-Khawarij_ was the mastermind of several terrorist attacks on security forces and civilians,” the security sources said. The price of the terrorist leader’s head had been set at Rs3 million.\n\nFitna al Khawarij is a term the state uses for terrorists belonging to the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), while _Fitna al Hindustan_ is a term designated by the state for terrorist organisations in Balo­chistan.\n\nAccording to sources, the leader — Umar alias Jan Mir, also known as Tor Saqib — was involved in planting explosives and constructing fortifications in the area around the Bobali Mosque in Spinwam.\n\nThe security forces surrounded the terrorists with a coordinated strategy before killing them, sources added.\n\nExperts stated that the killing of the terrorist leader would help restore peace in the area, calling his death “a major blow” to the terrorists.\n\n“Operations against _Fitna al Khawarij_ and _Fitna al Hindustan_ under Operation _Azm-i-Istehkam_ are successfully underway,” they added.\n\nDespite record militant deaths, Pakistan saw a sharp escalation in militant violence in 2025, with terrorist attacks rising by 34 per cent and terrorism-related fatalities increasing by 21 per cent year on year, according to a report released by the Islamabad-based Pak Institute for Peace Studies.\n\nKP in particular has seen a rise in terrorist attacks in the past year. According to the Annual Security Report 2025 from the Centre for Research and Security Studies (CRSS), the province recorded a significant surge in violence last year as “fatalities rose from 1,620 in 2024 to 2,331 in 2025”.\n\nIslamabad has repeatedly urged the Taliban administration to dismantle terrorist sanctuaries on Afghan soil, particularly those linked to the banned TTP. However, officials say those appeals have gone unheeded.\n\nDue to a resurgence of militancy, especially in KP and Balochistan, where attacks often target security personnel and LEAs, the state has intensified counter-terrorism operations.\n\nSecurity forces killed 22 India-sponsored terrorists in North Waziristan, the military’s media affairs wing said on Tuesday.\n\nLast month, security forces killed 22 terrorists in a joint IBO in KP’s Khyber District, the military’s media wing said.",
  "title": "Security forces kill five terrorists, including wanted commander, in North Waziristan IBO: security sources"
}