Pakistan military says 19 Indian-backed militants killed in northwest

Pakistan’s military said Thursday that its forces killed 19 militants it described as “Indian-sponsored” in a series of operations in the country’s northwest.

The military’s media wing said in a statement that the operations took place on Sept. 9 and 10 in Mohmand, North Waziristan, and Bannu districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, near the border with Afghanistan.

Fourteen militants were killed in Mohmand, four in North Waziristan, and one in Bannu, it said.

The statement said the fighters were “actively involved in numerous terrorist activities” and that weapons and ammunition were recovered. The military added that follow-up clearance operations are underway.

Pakistan has in recent years accused India of backing militant groups on its soil, a charge New Delhi denies.

The operation comes as Pakistan faces a resurgence of militant violence, with frequent attacks targeting security personnel in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and nearby tribal areas.

According to the Islamabad-based think tank Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS), August saw 143 militant attacks across the country — the highest monthly level in over a decade — resulting in nearly 300 deaths, including dozens of security personnel and civilians.

Officials say many of the fighters use Afghan territory as a base to regroup and plan attacks.

Efforts by Islamabad to persuade Afghanistan’s Taliban-led government to curb militant activity on its soil have produced little progress.