Five terrorists were killed in an encounter in Pakistan’s troubled Balochistan province, the army said on Sunday. During the conduct of an intelligence-based operation on the night of December 30-31, five terrorists “were sent to hell” following intense clashes between troops and the militants, according to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the media wing of the army.

The terrorists’ hideout was also busted and a cache of arms, ammunition and explosives was recovered, it said, adding that a sanitisation operation was being carried out to eliminate other terrorists in the area. “The security forces of Pakistan, in step with the nation, remain determined to thwart attempts of sabotaging peace, stability and progress of Balochistan,” the statement added. Pakistan has witnessed an increase in terror attacks in recent months, especially in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan. A day earlier, the army said five terrorists were killed during an operation in the Mir Ali area of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s North Waziristan District.

Earlier this month, as many as 25 soldiers were killed in two separate incidents on a single day, including a terrorist attack in Dera Ismail Khan, claiming the lives of 23 soldiers. That was the military’s highest single-day death toll from terrorist attacks reported this year.

According to statistics issued by the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS), the country witnessed the highest number of suicide attacks since 2014 during this year, with nearly half of them targeting the security forces.

As many as 48 per cent of deaths and 58pc of injuries were inflicted upon security forces personnel.