Pakistan Forces Kill 11 Militants in KP, Balochistan Operations

RAWALPINDI: Security forces killed 11 militants in separate intelligence-based operations in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, according to security sources on Thursday. The operations were carried out in Bannu and the Ladha area of South Waziristan in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, as well as the Sasol area of Khuzdar district in Balochistan.

Security sources said two militants were killed during an intelligence-based operation in Bannu. Weapons and ammunition were recovered during the action, while security personnel also destroyed a militant hideout using explosive material, according to the report. No casualties among security personnel or civilians were reported in the initial account.

A separate operation was conducted in Ladha, South Waziristan, after security forces received intelligence about militant movement in the area. Security sources said five militants were killed after their movement was detected and forces moved to surround and engage them. The initial report did not provide identities of those killed or additional details about the duration of the operation.

In Balochistan, security forces carried out another operation in Sasol, an area of Khuzdar district. Four militants were killed there, with security sources saying a quadcopter was used to target their position. The report said the militants were linked to groups the Pakistani state describes as Fitna al-Hindustan, while those targeted in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa operations were described as belonging to Fitna al-Khawarij.

Security sources said weapons and ammunition were recovered during the operations. They also maintained that precautions were taken to protect residents and property in the affected areas, and that no harm to the local population was reported in the initial information released about the actions.

The latest operations come as Pakistani security forces continue intelligence-led actions against militant networks in both Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan. The two provinces have remained central to the country's counterterrorism efforts, with authorities repeatedly conducting targeted operations following intelligence about the presence or movement of armed groups.

Pakistan's authorities have linked the continuing campaign to the broader Azm-e-Istehkam counterterrorism framework. Security forces have said operations will continue against militant networks and their infrastructure as part of efforts to prevent attacks and improve security in areas that have faced repeated militant violence.

The initial report cited security sources but did not include a separate public statement from the Inter-Services Public Relations or reactions from federal or provincial ministers. Further official information could clarify the identities and affiliations of those killed, any additional recoveries made during the raids, and whether follow-up search or sanitisation operations are being conducted in Bannu, South Waziristan and Khuzdar.