Security forces successfully neutralized 13 terrorists supported by India during two separate intelligence-driven operations in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) announced on Wednesday.
The military’s media wing detailed that the operations took place in the Bara area of Khyber District and in Bannu, targeting locations where terrorists were reportedly present. In the Bara operation, security personnel engaged the militants’ positions, resulting in an intense exchange of fire that led to the elimination of 10 terrorists.
Meanwhile, a second operation in Bannu District resulted in the killing of three additional terrorists. The ISPR confirmed that sanitization efforts are ongoing to root out any remaining Indian-backed militants in the region.
These actions form part of the broader counterterrorism campaign under the initiative “Azm-e-Istehkam,” aimed at eradicating foreign-sponsored terrorism from Pakistan.
Since the Afghan Taliban seized control of Afghanistan in 2021, there has been a notable rise in cross-border terrorist activities, especially in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, provinces that share a border with Afghanistan. In response, Pakistan launched “Operation Ghazab lil-Haq,” which resulted in the deaths of approximately 684 Afghan Taliban operatives and allied militants. Additionally, over 900 militants were injured, and 252 checkposts were destroyed, as confirmed by Information Minister Attaullah Tarar.
In a significant development, border clashes erupted between Pakistan and Afghanistan in October 2025 after unprovoked attacks by the Afghan Taliban and allied militants on Pakistani border posts. These confrontations led to the deaths of more than 200 Taliban fighters and affiliated militants, while 23 Pakistani soldiers were martyred defending the country.
Despite multiple rounds of dialogue, no agreement has been reached, largely due to the Afghan Taliban regime’s unwillingness to take decisive action against terrorist groups operating from its territory.
