Eleven militants of Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) have been killed by security forces after the banned outfit threatened a campaign against two of the main political parties heading the country’s coalition government, bdnews24.com reported citing Pakistani newspaper Dawn.
The military operation against the suspected terrorists took place on Thursday, a day after Pakistan vowed to take preemptive measures to avert militant attacks.
In an intelligence-based operation, the security forces raided a hideout of TTP militants in South Waziristan’s Wana and a gunfight broke out, leaving 11 'terrorists', including TTP commander Hafizullah and two would-be suicide bombers, dead, according to Pakistan military’s media wing, the Inter-Services Public Relations.
The operation “foiled a major terrorist activity”, while security forces also recovered a large quantity of weapons and ammunition, the ISPR said.
It added that the militants had remained “actively involved in terrorist activities against security forces and target killing of police in the district”.
On Wednesday, Pakistan’s interior minister said the government would take preventive action to foil terror plots and apprehend all those associated with militancy after the TTP announced a campaign against the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz and Pakistan Peoples Party, according to media reports in Pakistan.
“Tremendous efforts against terrorism were underway,” Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah said to the media.
Meanwhile, the United States condemned the TTP's threat to target political, religious and military personnel in Pakistan and emphasised the need to work collectively to eliminate all terrorist threats, according to Dawn.