Security forces kill 22 militants in northwest Pakistan

Pakistan’s military said Tuesday that security forces killed at least 22 militants during an intelligence-based operation in the country’s northwest, a day after a suicide attack on a security compound in Peshawar city.

The operation took place on Monday in Bannu district, a region in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province that has seen a rise in attacks in recent months.

The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the army’s media wing, said the raid targeted militants affiliated with Fitna al-Khwarij or Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, which it described as an Indian proxy group.

According to the military, troops surrounded the hideout and exchanged heavy fire with the militants. ISPR said 22 militants were killed in the clash. A search and sanitization operation was underway to ensure no remaining militants were present in the area.

The army said the raid is part of Pakistan’s broader counterterrorism drive known as “Azm-e-Istehkam,” a campaign approved by the Federal Apex Committee on the National Action Plan. The initiative seeks to dismantle what Pakistan describes as foreign-sponsored militant networks operating inside the country.

Rising militancy

The Bannu operation came one day after a deadly suicide attack on a security compound in Peshawar, capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Militants stormed the headquarters of the paramilitary Federal Constabulary, killing three officers and wounding 11 others in one of the most serious attacks on security forces this month.

Earlier in November, another suicide bombing struck Pakistan’s capital, Islamabad, killing 12 people. A faction of the Pakistan Taliban, or TTP, which follows the same ideological lineage as the Afghan Taliban, claimed responsibility for the attack.

Authorities in Islamabad blamed that bombing on a militant cell “guided at every step” by leadership based inside Afghanistan. The claim added to worsening tensions between the two neighbors.

Deteriorating relations

Relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan have deteriorated sharply since the Taliban returned to power in Kabul in 2021. Islamabad says attacks inside Pakistan have increased as militants take advantage of sanctuaries across the border. The Afghan Taliban deny the allegation and accuse Pakistan of supporting groups hostile to Afghanistan.

Tensions spiked in October when heavy border clashes left around 70 people dead on both sides. The fighting ended with a ceasefire brokered by Qatar and Turkey, but follow-up talks in Istanbul failed to produce a long-term agreement. Security concerns, particularly Pakistan’s demand that the Afghan Taliban curb TTP militants, remained the biggest obstacle.

The TTP has waged a violent insurgency against the Pakistani state for years, targeting security forces, political leaders and civilians. Pakistan’s government says the group receives support and shelter from inside Afghanistan, a charge Kabul rejects.

ISPR said Tuesday’s operation demonstrates Pakistan’s resolve to continue what it calls a “relentless” campaign against militant groups operating in the border region. The military said law-enforcement agencies remain committed to countering threats under the Azm-e-Istehkam framework.