Pakistan Army Says 21 Militants Killed in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Operations

DID Press: Pakistan’s military said on Sunday that its security forces had killed 21 militants in several operations in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, including 10 in North Waziristan, as Islamabad renewed accusations that militants were using Afghan territory for cross-border attacks.

According to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), 10 militants were killed during clearance operations in North Waziristan. The military said the latest deaths brought to 25 the number of militants killed in connection with an attempted infiltration across the Pakistan-Afghanistan border that began on August 31 and September 1.

In a separate clash in the same border area, seven more militants were killed, while four others were killed in separate operations in Kohat and Dera Ismail Khan, the ISPR said.

Pakistan’s military described the militants as members of what it calls “Fitna al-Khawarij” and alleged that they were backed by India. The allegation has not been independently verified, while India and Afghan authorities have rejected similar accusations.

The ISPR also accused the Taliban authorities in Afghanistan of failing to prevent militant groups from using Afghan territory and of not ensuring effective border management. Pakistan has repeatedly accused Kabul of allowing the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) to operate from Afghanistan. Taliban authorities reject the allegation and say they do not allow Afghan territory to be used against other countries.

The latest clashes add to already heightened tensions along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, where militant attacks and accusations between Islamabad and Kabul have increased in recent months.