Military kills 15 militants in northwest Pakistan raids

Fifteen militants linked to the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) were killed in two intelligence-based operations in Pakistan’s northwest between Nov. 15 and 16, according to the Pakistan Army’s media wing.

The operations took place in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, a province bordering Afghanistan that has long experienced militant activity.

The first raid was launched in the Kulachi area of Dera Ismail Khan after reports of militant presence.

Inter-Services Public Relations, the military’s media wing, said security forces “engaged the hideout with precision, killing ten terrorists, including their ring leader, Alam Mehsud.”

In a separate action in Datta Khel, North Waziristan — a district along the Afghan border — security forces “neutralized five more militants associated with the same group,” ISPR said.

The military said Pakistan’s security forces and law enforcement agencies remain committed to counterterrorism efforts under the “Azm-e-Istehkam” framework, a government-approved initiative to strengthen national security.

Following the operations, troops launched sanitization efforts aimed at ensuring no remaining Indian-sponsored militants were present in the area.

ISPR added that Pakistan’s resolve to eliminate foreign-sponsored terrorism “remains unwavering.”

Pakistan has accused Afghanistan’s Taliban-led government of failing to act against members of Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, a separate militant group that Islamabad says operates from Afghan territory. Kabul rejects the allegation and maintains that Pakistan must manage its own security challenges.

The TTP has carried out some of the most lethal attacks against Pakistani police and soldiers since 2007 as part of its campaign to impose a strict form of Islamic law in the country.

A rise in militant attacks in recent months has strained ties between Pakistan and Afghanistan.

Both countries exchanged heavy fire during deadly border clashes in October that killed dozens, including soldiers, before a temporary ceasefire was reached in Doha last month.