Pakistan’s security forces thwarted an infiltration attempt from across the Pakistan-Afghanistan border in Bajaur District on the night of October 29 and 30, killing four terrorists, including a commander, the military’s media wing said on Wednesday.

According to a statement issued by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the movement of a group of Khawarij attempting to cross into Pakistan was detected by security forces.

“Own troops effectively engaged and thwarted the Khawarij’s attempt to infiltrate. As a result of precise and skilful engagement, four khwarij, including their leader and high-value target, Amjad alias Mazahim, were sent to hell,” the ISPR said.

The statement added that the slain commander Amjad was deputy to Khawarij leader Noor Wali and head of the Rehbari Shura of the “Indian proxy Fitna al Khawarij.”

He was on the wanted list of law enforcement agencies, with the government having placed a bounty of Rs5 million on his head. The ISPR noted that Amjad had been involved in multiple terrorist activities inside Pakistan while residing in Afghanistan.

“It is pertinent to highlight that the leadership of Fitna al Khwarij, while residing in Afghanistan, is orchestrating infiltration attempts into Pakistan—primarily to project an impression of domestic presence and to raise the diminishing morale of their khwarij in Bajaur and Mohmand because of effective operations of security forces,” the ISPR added.

Reiterating its stance, the statement urged the Interim Afghan Government to ensure that Afghan soil is not used by terrorist proxies to carry out attacks against Pakistan.

“It also validates our stance that Afghan soil is continuously being used as a safe haven by Khawarij belonging to Fitna al Khawarij against Pakistan,” the ISPR stated.

The military said sanitisation operations were underway in the area to eliminate any remaining militants. It reaffirmed that Pakistan’s security forces “remain resolute and unwavering in their commitment to defend the nation’s frontiers” and that the ongoing counterterrorism campaign under “Azm-e-Istehkam,” approved by the Federal Apex Committee on the National Action Plan, would continue at full pace to eradicate foreign-sponsored terrorism from the country.