Five wanted terrorists killed in restive NW Pakistan

At least five wanted terrorists were killed in a clash with security forces during an operation in the restive northwest Pakistan, the Pakistan Army said on Saturday.

The incident occurred on Friday in the volatile Tank district bordering South Waziristan where the forces launched the operation on the reported presence of terrorists in the area.

In the lethal exchange of fire, five militants were killed, the Inter-Services Public Relations, the media wing of the Army, said.

The forces seized huge quantities of arms and ammunition from the possession of the slain terrorists.

The terrorists killed were wanted by the forces for their attacks on the forces, target killings, and money extortion.

Clearance operations are still underway in the area due to the possible presence of more terrorists, it said.

Pakistan has witnessed an uptick in terror activities in recent months, especially in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan provinces after the banned militant Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan ended its ceasefire with the government in November last year.

According to data from the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies, the country experienced a 34 per cent increase in anti-state violence last month. It showed Khyber Pakhtunkhwa as the most affected province, documenting 51 attacks, causing 54 fatalities and 81 injuries.