2,597 terrorists killed in 75,175 IBOs in 2025: DG ISPR

Rawalpindi: Director General Inter-Services Public Relations (DG ISPR) Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry said on Tuesday that 2025 proved to be a landmark and consequential year in Pakistan’s ongoing fight against terrorism.

Addressing a news conference, the DG ISPR stated that terrorism remains the biggest threat currently facing the state of Pakistan, adding that counter-terrorism operations during 2025 witnessed unprecedented intensity.

The military spokesperson said that during the year, both the state and the people of Pakistan gained complete clarity regarding the true nature of terrorism.

He emphasised that terrorists have no connection with Islam, describing them as Khawarij and Fitna-al-Hindustan, and said they have no association with Pakistan or Balochistan.

Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry further stated that in 2025, the international community acknowledged Pakistan’s position that Afghanistan has become a base for terrorist activities in the region.

He added that there is a national consensus among all political parties and segments of society on the implementation of the National Action Plan under the counter-terrorism vision of “Azm-e-Istehkam” to effectively eliminate terrorism from the country.

Counter-Terrorism Operations in 2025

Providing details of counter-terrorism efforts, the DG ISPR said that law enforcement agencies (LEAs) carried out 75,175 intelligence-based operations (IBOs) during 2025, resulting in the killing of 2,597 terrorists. He added that 1,235 security personnel were martyred in terrorist attacks across the country.

Of these operations, 14,658 were conducted in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 58,778 in Balochistan, while 1,739 operations were carried out in other parts of the country.

He added that 5,397 terrorist incidents took place in Pakistan in 2025, of which 3,811 were reported in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (71%), 1,557 in Balochistan (29%), and 29 incidents in other parts of the country.

The DG ISPR emphasised that, after reviewing these facts and figures, an important question arises as to why 71% of terrorist incidents occurred in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Political–criminal–terrorist nexus in KP

He said that the primary reason was the politically conducive environment being provided in the province, along with a flourishing political–criminal–terrorist nexus.

He described the Afghan Taliban government as a “mother organisation”, stating that it is organising, training, guiding, and directing the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) in line with its own structure.

The DG ISPR said the Afghan Taliban have promoted a narrative claiming they defeated the United States and international coalition forces. He added that this narrative has been used to radicalise youth and religiously inclined individuals, thereby strengthening terrorist ranks.

He said these elements present themselves as representatives of Islam while targeting young people. “They claim they expelled the US and global powers from Afghanistan, whereas the actual reasons are entirely different,” he added.

Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry stated that Afghanistan’s economy is being sustained through the support of various proxy groups and terrorist organisations. He said that in 2021, a deliberate strategy was formed under which the Taliban were consolidating control in Afghanistan.

The DG ISPR also referred to internal facilitation within Pakistan, criticising voices that advocated negotiations with terrorists. He said that whenever space was provided to terrorists, incidents of terrorism increased.

“We must win the war against terrorism not through appeasement, but through force and strength,” he asserted, warning that if terrorists are not stopped, they will spread violence street by street.

He said that terrorist incidents decline when borders are effectively sealed, adding that border controls have resulted in a higher number of terrorists being neutralised. He noted that the scale of terrorism faced by Pakistan would destabilise any other country if even a fraction of it were experienced elsewhere.

He revealed that 10 major terrorist incidents occurred in 2025, and said that Afghan nationals were involved in all major incidents, including suicide bombings.

Rejecting the narrative that the war on terror is only the military’s fight, he said, “This is not the army’s war alone; it is a war of every Pakistani.”

Use of Drones and Quadcopters

The DG ISPR rejected claims that Pakistan’s armed forces are using drones to carry out attacks in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, clarifying that drones are used strictly for surveillance purposes. He said armed quadcopters are employed with extreme caution to avoid collateral damage and are not used in populated areas.

He said that terrorist groups have carried out 410 quadcopter attacks in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and that these groups have established dedicated quadcopter units. He said that terrorists use mosques and civilian homes for planning and launching attacks, including using children as shields.

India-Afghan Taliban Nexus

Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry highlighted the existence of an India–Afghan Taliban terrorist nexus, stating that India is using Afghan Taliban elements as proxies and providing financial and logistical support. He said that Afghanistan is being used as a base of operations with Indian patronage.

He added that the military and political leadership are on the same page, and that the Pakistani public has now identified internal facilitators of terrorism, many of whom are active in politics.

He said the links between the Afghan Taliban, Khawarij elements, and India became fully evident in 2025, urging those defending Afghanistan’s role to clarify their position.

Criticism of KP Government

The DG ISPR strongly criticised the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government and Chief Minister Sohail Afridi, calling their stance on terrorism misleading. He rejected the narrative that Pakistan alone is affected by terrorism while other countries face no issues from Afghanistan.

He questioned why terrorists target all major political parties — including PPP, PML-N, and ANP — but do not target PTI, saying this raises serious questions.

He concluded by saying that the KP chief minister’s narrative has been exposed as illogical and politically motivated rhetoric, rather than a serious approach to counter-terrorism.

 

“For us, there is no shade or category of terrorism. There is only one kind of terrorist — a dead terrorist,” he added.