Security forces have successfully neutralized seven terrorists affiliated with the Fitna al-Khwarij group during an intelligence-based operation (IBO) in North Waziristan district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The operation targeted militants reportedly backed by India and was conducted under the Azm-e-Istehkam vision, aimed at stabilizing the region. Several militant hideouts were destroyed, and weapons along with ammunition were recovered during the raid.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif praised the security forces for their efforts in eliminating the terrorists in North Waziristan. This operation follows another IBO conducted the previous day, which resulted in the killing of nine Fitna al-Khwarij militants in various parts of North Waziristan, including Palangzai, Nadeem Kot, and Kot Khazri areas.
Pakistan has experienced a significant increase in cross-border terrorist incidents, particularly in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, since the Afghan Taliban regained control in 2021. In September 2026, the country recorded its highest number of militant attacks in 12 years, with 225 incidents reported nationwide, marking a 13% rise from 199 attacks in August. This marks the third consecutive month of increasing militant activity.
Despite repeated appeals to the Afghan Taliban authorities to prevent militant groups from using Afghan territory to launch attacks inside Pakistan, Islamabad asserts that Kabul has not taken effective measures against these groups. The ongoing issue of militants operating from Afghan soil remains a major point of contention between the two governments, with multiple rounds of talks failing to resolve the dispute.
