11 Militants Killed in KP, Balochistan Intelligence Operations
Security forces killed 11 militants in separate intelligence-based operations across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan on Thursday, according to security sources, in one of the latest counterterrorism developments reported from Pakistan's two most security-sensitive provinces. The operations were conducted in Bannu and South Waziristan in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and in Khuzdar district of Balochistan.
Security sources said two militants described by Pakistani authorities as belonging to Fitna Al Khawarij were killed during an intelligence-led action in Bannu. Weapons and ammunition were recovered after the engagement, while a militant hideout was also destroyed. Pakistani authorities use the Fitna Al Khawarij designation for militants associated with the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan and related networks.
A separate operation was carried out in the Ladha area of South Waziristan after security personnel received intelligence about militant movement. Five militants were killed after forces monitored the suspected group, surrounded the location and carried out the operation, according to the security sources. South Waziristan remains among the areas where Pakistani forces regularly conduct intelligence-based counterterrorism actions.
In Balochistan, four militants were killed in the Sasol area of Khuzdar district. Security sources described them as affiliated with Fitna Al Hindustan, a designation used by the Pakistani state for militant groups in Balochistan that authorities accuse of receiving foreign support. The militants were targeted with assistance from quadcopters, highlighting the growing use of surveillance and remotely operated technology in security operations in difficult terrain.
Security officials said measures were taken during the three operations to protect nearby residents and prevent civilian casualties or damage to local property. Clearance activity continued in the affected locations after the engagements as security personnel searched for any remaining militant presence, weapons or supporting infrastructure.
President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif separately praised the security forces following reports of the operations. The president reiterated the state's commitment to eliminating militant threats, while the prime minister said the country remained united with its security institutions in the fight against terrorism. Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi also commended the professionalism of the forces and reaffirmed continued action against militant networks.
The latest operations come amid sustained counterterrorism activity in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, where security forces have carried out repeated intelligence-based actions in recent weeks. The two provinces remain central to Pakistan's internal security campaign because of persistent militant attacks on security personnel, government facilities and civilians, as well as the presence of multiple armed networks operating across remote districts.
Authorities are expected to continue intelligence gathering, clearance operations and targeted actions in areas where militant activity is detected. Security officials have said such operations will remain part of the government's wider counterterrorism strategy until militant networks and their operational infrastructure are dismantled, keeping security conditions in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan high on Pakistan's national agenda.