Pakistan’s security forces killed 11 militants in separate intelligence-based operations in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, state media reported, citing security sources.
Five militants were killed during an operation in South Waziristan district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, according to state-run Radio Pakistan. The report said security forces targeted militant hideouts and recovered a large quantity of weapons and ammunition following the operation.
State media referred to the militants as members of Fitna al-Khawarij, a term Pakistani authorities use for the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).
Quoting security sources, Radio Pakistan said counterterrorism operations were continuing across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa under the government’s Azm-i-Istehkam security initiative.
The sources said security forces remained committed to eliminating terrorism and establishing lasting peace in the country.
Separately, six militants were killed during a security operation in the Gorander and Mashkel areas of Balochistan, according to state media.
The reports said the militants opened fire on a security checkpost in Mashkel and attempted to flee before security forces responded and killed them.
Pakistani authorities described the militants involved in the Balochistan operation as belonging to Fitna al-Hindustan, a term used by the state for Baloch militant groups that Islamabad alleges receive support from India. India has repeatedly denied Pakistani allegations that it sponsors militant violence inside the country.
The security operations come amid persistent militant violence in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, which have remained the two provinces most affected by Pakistan’s deteriorating security situation.
According to data previously compiled by the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, excluding the merged tribal districts, recorded 54 militant attacks in August, up from 36 in July.
Security forces have also conducted a series of counterterrorism operations in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in recent weeks, including in Mir Ali, Bara and Dera Ismail Khan.
The latest operations follow several deadly attacks in the province, including a suicide bombing at a police checkpost in Dera Ismail Khan’s Darazinda tehsil and an attack at the old Police Lines in Kohat in September.
Pakistan has faced a wider increase in militant violence in recent months, with both Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan accounting for a significant share of security-related fatalities.
Details of the operations, including the identities and affiliations of those killed, are based on statements attributed to Pakistani security sources and state media and have not been independently verified.
