Pakistan says 47 ‘Indian-backed’ militants killed in two-day border operations

Pakistani security forces have killed 47 militants in two days of operations along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, the military said Saturday, describing them as members of an “Indian-sponsored” group.

The latest clash came during a sanitization operation in the Sambaza area of Balochistan’s Zhob District on the night of Aug. 8-9. According to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), 14 more militants - referred to by the military as “Khwarij” - were “hunted down and neutralized,” with weapons, ammunition, and explosives recovered from their possession.

This follows a large-scale engagement on Aug 7-8, when security forces intercepted a group of militants attempting to cross from Afghanistan into Pakistan.

The military identified the fighters as members of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), a group it refers to as “Fitna al Khwarij.” It said the operations had prevented infiltration and thwarted attempts to sabotage peace and stability in the region.

Pakistan and India - both nuclear-armed rivals - frequently accuse each other of backing insurgents. Islamabad alleges New Delhi sponsors violence in Balochistan to undermine security and disrupt Chinese-backed development projects, while India denies the charges.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif praised the security forces for their actions, saying they had “crushed the terrorists’ nefarious ambitions” and reiterating his government’s resolve to eradicate terrorism.

The twin operations come amid a broader security crackdown in Balochistan, where both separatist groups have escalated attacks in recent months. In response, the government has tightened intelligence-based operations and even suspended mobile data services in parts of the province to disrupt militant communications.

Balochistan, home to the China-funded Gwadar Port, remains strategically important under Beijing’s Belt and Road Initiative. The province has also witnessed some of the deadliest attacks in recent years, including a March assault by the Balochistan Liberation Army that killed 31 people, among them 23 soldiers.