Eight militants killed in North Waziristan border operation

Pakistan's military said security forces killed eight militants during an operation near the Pakistan-Afghanistan border in North Waziristan, describing the group as India-backed fighters linked to Fitna al-Khawarij. The Inter-Services Public Relations said the movement of the group was detected on April 1 and troops responded with what it called a precise engagement.

According to the military statement, weapons and ammunition were recovered from the dead militants. Security forces also launched follow-up sanitisation operations in the area to determine whether more fighters remained in nearby locations.

The military used the incident to renew criticism of the Afghan Taliban authorities, saying border management on the Afghan side had failed to prevent the use of territory for attacks inside Pakistan. Islamabad has repeatedly argued that cross-border militant violence has intensified since the Taliban returned to power in Kabul in 2021.

The latest operation adds to a broader counterterrorism push in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, where Pakistan has faced persistent militant pressure. Officials say the campaign will continue under the state's wider security strategy aimed at disrupting foreign-backed armed networks and preventing infiltration along the frontier.