According to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), 19 terrorists belonging to the Indian proxy Fitna al Khawarij were killed in three intelligence-based operations conducted by security forces in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) on September 9 and 10, targeting militant hideouts in Mohmand, North Waziristan, and Bannu.
- In Mohmand’s Guluno area, 14 militants were killed in a fierce gun battle.
- Four more were neutralised in North Waziristan’s Datta Khel region.
- Another militant was killed during an encounter in Bannu.
ISPR reported that weapons and ammunition were recovered from the sites and said sanitisation operations are continuing to ensure no militants remain. The statement reaffirmed that Pakistan’s security forces are determined to eradicate terrorism.
At least 23 militants were killed in a series of security operations this week, officials confirmed on Thursday. The dead include 19 fighters linked to the group Pakistan’s military identifies as “Fitna al-Khawarij” in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and four armed suspects eliminated during a Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) raid in Balochistan’s Pishin district.
Separately, the CTD confirmed killing four armed militants in an intelligence-led raid in Pishin, Balochistan. A firefight broke out during the operation, after which two machine guns, two 9mm pistols, two hand grenades, explosives, and detonators were seized.
Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti praised the CTD’s “timely action” for thwarting a major terrorist plot. He commended the role of all security agencies in restoring peace and vowed that no terrorist or facilitator would escape justice.
Rising Violence in KP
Pakistan has experienced a sharp increase in cross-border militant activity since the Taliban’s return to power in Afghanistan in 2021, with KP and Balochistan bearing the brunt.
A report by the Islamabad-based Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS) noted a 74 percent spike in militant attacks in August compared with July, recording 194 fatalities nationwide for the month.
Government officials have also revealed that more than 8,000 Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) fighters—referred to by authorities as “Fitna al-Khawarij”—are currently present in KP after crossing from Afghanistan via remote border routes. Militants have been reported setting up checkpoints on key roads, including the CPEC Road, DI Khan–Bannu Road, and in Tank district, while blending into local populations to stage attacks.
According to a provincial police report, KP witnessed over 600 terrorism incidents in the first eight months of 2025, leaving 138 civilians dead and 352 wounded. The violence also claimed the lives of 79 police personnel and injured another 130.
Authorities say security forces remain on high alert and continue targeted operations to stem the surge in attacks.
