Security forces have killed 23 India-sponsored terrorists, including a ring leader, during the intelligence-based operations (IBOs) conducted in different areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, the military’s media affairs wing said on Thursday._x000D_
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In a statement, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said that security forces over the past 48 hours conducted a series of IBOs in KP areas — Datta Khel, Spinwam and Bannu and killed 23 Fitna al-Khwarij terrorists, including the ring leader Jan Meer alias Toor Saqib._x000D_
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“Over the last 48 hours, during the conduct of these series of operations, troops effectively engaged multiple khawarij locations,†the ISPR said, adding that 23 more terrorists belonging to India-sponsored Fitna al-Khawarij were eliminated following intense and fierce exchanges of fire._x000D_
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The military’s media wing said that the ring leader, Jan Meer alias Toor Saqib was highly wanted by the security forces and the government had fixed a head money on him for his active involvement in numerous terrorist activities, including the killing of security forces personnel and innocent civilians._x000D_
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The ring leader’s death will give “a significant blow to the khawarij networks operating in these areas,†it added._x000D_
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The military further said that during the sanitisation operations, a series of complex underground tunnels and bunkers used by terrorists were also discovered and destroyed by security forces._x000D_
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“Weapons, ammunition, a large cache of explosives and prepared Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) were also been recovered from killed India-sponsored Khawarij, who remained actively involved in numerous terrorist activities in the area,†the press release added._x000D_
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“Sanitisation operations continue to eliminate holed up khawarij from these areas, as 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 to wipe out the menace of foreign-sponsored and supported terrorism from the country,†said the military.