Pakistani security forces killed 15 militants during coordinated raids on two hideouts in the country’s northwest near the Afghan border, the military said Tuesday, describing the operations as part of an ongoing effort to dismantle insurgent networks in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.
The military said troops launched the first operation in Dera Ismail Khan district, where intelligence reports indicated the presence of Pakistani Taliban fighters. Ten militants were killed in the raid, according to an official statement. A second operation in North Waziristan — a region long associated with militant activity — left five more fighters dead.
Authorities identified the militants as “Khawarij,” a term the Pakistani government frequently uses for insurgent groups it claims receive backing from elements in Afghanistan and India. Those allegations have been repeatedly denied by Kabul and New Delhi. Officials said those killed were linked to the banned Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan, or TTP, an insurgent group responsible for deadly attacks across the country.
The Pakistani Taliban maintain ties to Afghanistan’s Taliban, who have grown more assertive in the region since taking control of Kabul in 2021. Many senior TTP leaders are believed to operate from sanctuaries across the border, a reality that has strained diplomatic relations between Islamabad and Kabul and fueled cross-border security concerns.
The military did not report any troop casualties and said operations in the region remain ongoing.
