49 Militants Killed in KP, Balochistan Operations, ISPR Says

RAWALPINDI: Pakistan's security forces, working alongside police, killed 49 militants during a series of intelligence-based operations conducted across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan over the past several days, according to the Inter-Services Public Relations. The military said the actions were part of the country's continuing counterterrorism campaign aimed at disrupting militant networks and preventing further threats to security.

According to ISPR, 12 militants were killed during separate intelligence-based operations in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa districts of Bannu, North Waziristan, Orakzai and Khyber. The military described those targeted as members of what it calls Fitna Al Khwarij and said the operations focused on locations where militant activity had been identified through intelligence.

Security personnel also recovered and destroyed weapons, ammunition, explosives, improvised explosive device detonating equipment and motorcycles during the operations in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the military's media wing said. The recoveries indicate that authorities were targeting both personnel and logistical resources associated with the militant networks operating in the affected districts.

In Balochistan, ISPR said security forces conducted 10 intelligence-based operations in Mastung, Mach, Khuzdar and Panjgur districts, killing 37 militants. The military referred to the militants there using the term Fitna Al Hindustan and alleged that the groups were receiving external sponsorship. No independent confirmation of those sponsorship claims was provided in the military statement cited in the report.

Weapons and other explosive material were also recovered during the Balochistan operations, including explosive drums and equipment intended for remote detonation, according to ISPR. Security forces subsequently began sanitisation operations in the affected areas to search for any remaining militants and secure locations where the intelligence-led actions had taken place.

The operations span several districts that have faced repeated security challenges, making the combined figure of 49 militants killed a significant development in the country's current counterterrorism drive. Authorities have increasingly relied on intelligence-based operations designed to target identified networks while conducting follow-up searches to prevent militants from regrouping in surrounding areas.

ISPR linked the latest actions to Azm-e-Istehkam, the counterterrorism campaign approved by the Federal Apex Committee under the National Action Plan framework. The military said security forces remained committed to protecting Pakistan's borders and internal security and would continue operations against militant organisations and their support structures.

Further security activity is expected as sanitisation and intelligence operations continue in both provinces. Authorities are likely to assess material recovered from the sites for additional information about militant movements and networks. The immediate focus remains on securing the affected districts and preventing surviving members of the targeted groups from establishing new operational positions.