The Kabul Tribune (KT) — Anadolu Agency reported that Pakistani security forces killed at least 24 militants during two separate operations in the northwestern province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa near the Afghan border, the military’s media wing said on Friday.
According to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the
militants were killed on Wednesday and Thursday in two intelligence-based
operations in Orakzai and Khyber districts. Fourteen militants were killed in
Orakzai district, while 10 others were killed in Khyber district.
Pakistan has seen a renewed surge in militant violence in
recent years, particularly in its western and southwestern regions. On
Thursday, the military said it had killed 216 suspected militants during a
six-day operation across southwestern Balochistan province following last
week’s deadly attacks.
The operations followed what the military described as
coordinated assaults by militants at 12 locations across the province on
Saturday. The Balochistan Liberation Army, a militant group, claimed
responsibility for the attacks.
According to ISPR, another 58 people — including 36
civilians and 22 law enforcement personnel — were killed in the clashes.
Internet and mobile services, as well as train traffic, were restored on
Thursday. Train services, however, were suspended again on Friday.
Balochistan, a mineral-rich region and a key route for the
multibillion-dollar China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, has long faced militancy,
with separatist groups seeking what they describe as the “liberation” of the
province.
