Security Forces Kill 21 Militants in KP Operations, ISPR Says

RAWALPINDI: Pakistan's security forces killed 21 militants in a series of operations across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, including engagements near the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, the Inter-Services Public Relations said on Sunday. The military's media wing reported operations in North Waziristan as well as separate clashes in Kohat and Dera Ismail Khan, marking another significant development in the country's continuing counterterrorism campaign.

According to ISPR, 10 militants were killed in North Waziristan during an operation conducted along the international border. The military said the action followed an earlier confrontation during the night of August 31 and September 1, when security forces had killed 15 militants who were allegedly attempting to enter Pakistan. With the latest operation, ISPR said the number killed while attempting to cross the border in those engagements had risen to 25.

Security forces encountered another group in a separate area of North Waziristan after detecting movement close to the frontier, according to the military statement. Troops engaged the group and seven militants were killed. The series of encounters highlights the continuing security pressure along areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa that border Afghanistan and have remained a major focus of Pakistan's counterterrorism operations.

Four additional militants were killed during two separate engagements in Kohat and Dera Ismail Khan, ISPR said. Taken together, the operations reported on Sunday accounted for 21 militant deaths across the province. The military described those targeted in the operations as linked to elements receiving Indian backing, an allegation attributed to Pakistani security authorities.

ISPR also renewed Pakistan's criticism of the Afghan Taliban authorities over cross-border militancy. The military said repeated infiltration attempts supported Islamabad's position that militant organisations continued to use Afghan territory for attacks against Pakistan. It further accused the authorities in Kabul of failing to provide effective border management and to meet their international counterterrorism responsibilities.

Pakistan has repeatedly made border security and the prevention of militant movement from Afghanistan a central part of its security concerns. The latest engagements are particularly significant for North Waziristan, where security forces continue monitoring mountainous and difficult border terrain for attempted infiltration. The operations in Kohat and Dera Ismail Khan also demonstrate that counterterrorism activity is extending beyond the immediate frontier districts.

The military said security forces remain committed to protecting Pakistan's borders while clearance operations continue in affected areas. Such operations are intended to locate and eliminate any remaining militant presence following armed encounters and to reduce the possibility of further attacks against security personnel or civilians.

ISPR said the wider counterterrorism campaign would continue under the Azm-e-Istehkam framework endorsed by the Central Apex Committee of the National Action Plan. Authorities are expected to maintain operations against militant networks while strengthening surveillance and security along vulnerable border regions, with developments in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa remaining a key focus of Pakistan's national security response.