Security forces kill 11 militants in N. Pakistan

At least 11 militants were killed in two different security operations in PakistanÂ's northern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) province bordering Afghanistan, said the military on Monday. According to a statement issued by Pakistan militaryÂ's media wing Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR), an intelligence based operation was conducted in Dera Ismail Khan district of KPK on reported presence of terrorists. During the operation, after an intense fire exchange, ten "terrorists" were successfully neutralized. The military further said, in another encounter in North Waziristan district of KPK, troops effectively engaged the terroristsÂ' location as a result of which one more terrorist was killed. "The killed terrorists remained actively involved in numerous terrorist activities in the area against security forces as well as the innocent civilians," said ISPR. Arms and ammunition were also recovered from them, it added. Locals of the area appreciated the operations by the Security Forces, who remain determined to eli minate the menace of terrorism from the country. Earlier in the month, two militants were gunned down by security forces in an exchange of fire in North Waziristan district. The operations come at a time when Pakistan has witnessed a rise in terror attacks especially in KPK and Balochistan provinces after the banned outfit Tehreek e Taliban Pakistan (TTP) ended the ceasefire agreement with the government last year. Source: Kuwait News Agency