Pakistan Army conducts multi-district raids in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, neutralises 34 terrorists

At least 34 militants were killed in a series of intelligence-based counter-terrorism operations carried out by the Pakistan Army across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and Balochistan , the military said on Wednesday.

According to an official statement, the operations were conducted over the past several days as part of a sustained campaign to dismantle militant networks and prevent cross-border infiltration.

In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa , security forces eliminated 26 militants in four separate engagements. One encounter occurred in the Hassan Khel area of North Waziristan , where troops detected a group attempting to enter Pakistan from across the Pakistan-Afghanistan border . One militant, identified as an Afghan national, was killed.

Another intelligence-based operation in Lakki Marwat district resulted in the deaths of three militants . Simultaneously, two separate engagements were carried out in the Narmi Khel area of Bannu district , where 10 militants were neutralised. A further operation in the Mir Ali area of North Waziristan led to the killing of 12 more militants , the army said.

In Balochistan , security forces conducted an operation in the Sambaza area of Zhob district , killing eight militants allegedly linked to what the government terms “Fitna-al-Hindustan,” referring to ethnic Baloch insurgent groups. The military uses the term “Fitna-al-Khwarij” for militants associated with Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan .

Weapons and ammunition were recovered from the slain militants, who were reportedly involved in several terrorist activities in the region. The army reiterated its commitment to eliminating militant threats and safeguarding national borders.

The latest operations follow a surge in violence in Balochistan last month, when coordinated attacks left at least 15 security personnel and 18 civilians dead . The military later said around 206 militants were killed during four days of clashes that ensued.The Balochistan Liberation Army claimed responsibility for several of those attacks, which targeted police stations, Frontier Corps check posts, banks and government buildings. Officials say separatist violence in the province has intensified over the past two to three years, posing renewed security challenges for Pakistan.