Security forces have eliminated 18 India-backed militants during coordinated operations in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and Balochistan, officials confirmed on Wednesday. These operations targeted Fitna al-Khawarij in KP as part of the Azm-e-Istehkam initiative and Fitna al-Hindustan in Balochistan.
In KP’s North Waziristan district and surrounding areas, security forces killed 13 militants after raiding their hideouts. Meanwhile, a separate operation in Mastung, Balochistan, resulted in the deaths of five militants linked to Fitna al-Hindustan. Authorities recovered weapons and ammunition from the militants during these operations.
Following the initial raids, clearance operations were conducted to eliminate any remaining militants in the targeted areas. These actions come amid a significant rise in cross-border terrorist incidents, particularly in KP and Balochistan, since the Afghan Taliban regained control in 2021.
September 2026 marked the highest monthly number of militant attacks in Pakistan in 12 years, with 225 incidents recorded nationwide, a 13% increase from 199 attacks in August. This marks the third consecutive month of rising militant activity, data from an Islamabad-based independent think tank monitoring anti-state violence.
Pakistan has repeatedly called on the Afghan Taliban to prevent militant groups from using Afghan territory to launch attacks within Pakistan. However, Islamabad maintains that Kabul has not taken sufficient measures against these groups, which continue to target Pakistani security forces and civilians. Despite several rounds of dialogue, the issue of militant operations from Afghan soil remains a significant unresolved dispute between the two governments.
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