Security forces have cleared two militant hideouts located inside mosques in Mir Ali, North Waziristan, the military’s media wing said on Monday. According to the statement, a large quantity of explosives, improvised explosive devices (IEDs), weapons and ammunition was recovered during an intelligence-based operation.
The operation took place in Mozak village, in the southern part of Mir Ali tehsil. The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said the sites were used by militants it described as belonging to the “Indian proxy Fitna al-Khawarij”, a term the state applies to members of the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).
Mosques allegedly used to store explosives
The ISPR said the militants had used the mosques to hold explosives and as bases for violence. It described such use of places of worship as a clear departure from the core teachings of Islam. The media wing also said militants acting under the patronage of the Afghan Taliban had no link to the faith, calling their twisting of religion unacceptable.
Also read: Terrorism in Pakistan: DG ISPR blames India, Afghan Taliban
Clearance work is continuing in the area to locate other hideouts, which the ISPR said were set up with Indian backing. Security forces and law enforcement agencies, it added, would keep up their counterterrorism campaign under the government’s “Azm-e-Istehkam” initiative until foreign-sponsored terrorism is wiped out of the country.
Governor Kundi praises operation and condemns mosque misuse
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Faisal Karim Kundi congratulated the security and intelligence agencies on the operation, which he called highly successful. In a statement, he said he was deeply upset after viewing videos of the operation, which he said showed militants using mosques for terrorism and weapons storage.
“Mosques preach peace and the message of Islam. Such reprehensible activities there are deeply regrettable,” he said. Kundi added that complaints about mosque misuse had surfaced in the former tribal districts in the past, and that society could not accept such conduct.
He said intelligence-based operations would be stepped up to restore peace in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and that the provincial government stood with security forces in efforts to restore law and order.
Surge in militant violence across the region
The region has seen rising violence, with the TTP and other militant groups often attacking security convoys and checkpoints using modern weapons and quadcopters. Islamabad has frequently accused India of backing militant groups, and Afghanistan of letting its territory be used for cross-border attacks. New Delhi and Kabul have rejected these allegations.
