RAWALPINDI: Pakistan’s security forces killed 21 militants in a series of operations across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the military said on Sunday, as counterterrorism operations intensified following a string of militant attacks in the province.
The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said the militants belonged to what the military describes as Fitna al-Khawarij, its term for the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan and affiliated groups.
The operations came only days after security forces reported killing dozens of militants during separate actions in Balochistan, indicating an intensified campaign against armed groups operating in the two provinces bordering Afghanistan.
The military again criticised Afghanistan’s Taliban authorities, saying Kabul had failed to ensure effective management of the border and fulfil its commitments to prevent Afghan territory from being used by militants targeting Pakistan. The Afghan authorities have repeatedly denied accusations that they allow militants to operate against neighbouring countries from their territory.
Pakistan has experienced a sustained rise in militant violence in recent years, with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa — particularly districts close to the Afghan frontier — bearing much of the impact.
Further details about the locations of Sunday’s engagements and any casualties among security personnel were not immediately available as the military said operations were continuing.