Pakistan military says it killed 32 militants in KP, Balochistan raids

Pakistan's security forces killed 32 militants in intelligence-based operations across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan over the past 24 hours, the military's media wing said Tuesday. The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said the raids targeted groups it described as the "Indian-sponsored Fitna al Khwarij and Fitna al Hindustan," part of Pakistan's ongoing counterterrorism campaign.

What happened in Pakistan's counterterrorism operations?

Security forces carried out area sanitization and targeted raids in Khyber district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and in Nushki district in Balochistan overnight. Troops killed 24 militants linked to Fitna al Khwarij, also known as the TTP, and eight militants identified as members of Fitna al Hindustan, or the BLA, after an intense exchange of fire.

What happened in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa operation?

The ISPR said troops conducted multiple intelligence-based operations during the night of July 28-29 in Khyber district, in the country's northwest. Security forces engaged several militant hideouts during the raids. Twenty-four militants allegedly linked to Fitna al Khwarij, the group Pakistan refers to as the TTP, were killed in the exchanges.

What happened in the Balochistan operation?

In a separate raid in Nushki district in southwestern Balochistan, security forces conducted multiple intelligence-based operations that led to an intense exchange of fire. Eight militants identified by the military as members of Fitna al Hindustan, which it links to the BLA, were killed. The ISPR said troops recovered and destroyed a cache of weapons, ammunition and improvised explosive devices during the operation.

What comes next in Pakistan's counterterrorism campaign?

The military said sanitization operations were continuing in both areas to clear any remaining militants and their facilitators. The ISPR reaffirmed its commitment to the Azm-e-Istehkam strategy, which was approved by the Federal Apex Committee on the National Action Plan. It said security forces and law enforcement agencies would continue operations against what it described as foreign-sponsored terrorism.