KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – Pakistani security forces said on Friday they killed eight militants during an operation in the Tank district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, part of the country’s ongoing counterterrorism efforts along its northwest frontier.
The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the military’s media wing, said the militants belonged to “Indian Proxy, Fitna al Khwarij,” a term Islamabad uses for the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). The group has escalated attacks on Pakistani security forces since the Taliban returned to power in Afghanistan in 2021.
During the “intelligence-based operation,” weapons and ammunition were recovered from the militants, ISPR added. The statement said the slain fighters “remained actively involved in numerous terrorist activities against security forces and law enforcement agencies, as well as the killing of innocent civilians.”
Pakistan has seen a sharp rise in militant activity in recent years, particularly in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, as TTP and other groups like the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) have increased attacks on military installations, checkpoints, and security personnel. Last year was Pakistan’s deadliest in nearly a decade, with over 1,600 fatalities, nearly half of them security personnel, according to the Islamabad-based Center for Research and Security Studies (CRSS).
Islamabad has repeatedly accused Taliban authorities of allowing TTP sanctuaries across the border, a charge Kabul denies. Despite Pakistan’s repeated demands, the Taliban have refrained from taking action against the group, fueling increased tensions along the shared frontier.
Relations between the two sides have deteriorated to their lowest point in recent months, marked by multiple border clashes. Pakistan has conducted airstrikes in Afghanistan targeting TTP militants, while the Taliban have responded with attacks on Pakistani posts.
The most recent major conflict occurred earlier this month after the Taliban attacked multiple Pakistani security posts along the border, reportedly in retaliation for airstrikes in Kabul and Paktika provinces. The clashes lasted four days, resulting in dozens of deaths and injuries, including among civilians, before a 48-hour ceasefire was implemented, followed by an agreement reached last week in Doha, brokered by Qatar and Turkey.
