Twenty-four militants were killed during a series of military operations by the Pakistani army in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province in the country's northwest, following an escalation of militant attacks, the latest being a suicide car bomb attack targeting security forces and civilians in the Bannu region.

The army announced in a statement today (Friday) that security forces had carried out large-scale joint operations over the past 24 hours in Bannu and neighboring areas, resulting after fierce clashes in the killing of 24 militants and the seizure of quantities of weapons and ammunition in their possession.

Pakistani army spokesman Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry stated that the operation came amid the recent escalation in terrorist activities targeting police forces and the suicide attack in Bannu, confirming that forces have launched intelligence operations to track down the perpetrators of the attacks and their supporting infrastructure.

He added that military operations in the region would continue, vowing that the perpetrators of these brutal and cowardly acts would be brought to justice. He stressed that the ongoing counter-terrorism campaign, carried out by the Pakistani armed forces and law enforcement agencies under the 'Azm-e-Istehkam' vision, endorsed by the Federal Committee on the National Action Plan, would continue at full pace to eliminate terrorism supported and funded by foreign entities inside the country.

This operation comes days after a suicide attack targeting a police checkpoint in the Bannu region, which killed 14 policemen and injured others, following a car bomb explosion that was followed by a militant attack, in the latest wave of escalating violence in the border areas with Afghanistan.

For his part, Pakistani Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif praised the security forces and law enforcement agencies following the success of the operation, confirming that the militants killed were responsible for targeting policemen and civilians in the recent attacks in Bannu city.

Sharif said that the swift response and professionalism of the security forces deserve appreciation, adding that the entire nation stands with its brave soldiers. He affirmed that eliminating terrorism and its supporters remains a government priority, vowing to bring all those responsible for the attacks to justice.