The Pakistan Army announced that it has eliminated 74 armed fighters in a series of raids along the country’s borders with Afghanistan. The statement, released by the army’s news division on social media, highlighted the operation’s success in curbing insurgent activity in the region.
In the southwestern province of Balochistan, 31 militants were killed since November 3. The army recovered a variety of weapons, explosives and ammunition during the operations. Balochistan remains a flashpoint for the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), an armed group that seeks independence from Pakistan.
Meanwhile, in the northern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, 35 fighters were neutralised in raids on Mir Ali over the past two days. An additional eight militants were killed in Orakzai, with more weapons seized. These districts are known bases for the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and other armed groups.
President Asif Ali Zardari praised the security forces’ “continued successes in the war against terrorism,” noting that operations must persist against “externally sponsored terrorist elements.” He accused India and Afghanistan of supporting the insurgents, a claim denied by both Delhi and Kabul.
The army identified the fighters as “Khawarij,” a term it uses for militants it believes are backed by Afghanistan, including the TTP. The TTP is allied with the Afghan Taliban, which seized power in 2021. Pakistani officials assert that the group operates from across the Afghan border, contributing to a rise in attacks on Pakistani territory.
These tensions have strained relations between Islamabad and Kabul, leading to armed confrontations that have caused civilian casualties. In the Kohat district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, an ambush by alleged TTP fighters on a convoy resulted in the deaths of 11 policemen and injuries to 12 others, according to authorities.
Source: Al Jazeera
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Editorial note: This is an original news report prepared from the attributed source material with AI assistance. It is not a reproduction or translation of the original article.
