Security forces eliminated 31 militants linked to the Indian proxy group Fitna al Khwarij in two intelligence-based operations across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on September 13 and 14, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) confirmed Monday.
The first operation, launched in Lakki Marwat district, targeted a militant hideout where 14 fighters were killed after a heavy exchange of fire. A second operation in the Bannu district resulted in the elimination of 17 more militants. ISPR said sanitisation operations were ongoing to ensure no remnants of the network remain, reiterating that Pakistan’s forces are determined to root out Indian-sponsored terrorism.
The country continues to grapple with rising cross-border militancy since the Taliban’s return to power in Afghanistan in 2021, particularly in KP and Balochistan. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has cautioned Kabul against allowing its soil to be exploited for terrorism, stressing that Afghanistan must choose between backing militants or cooperating with Pakistan.
According to security officials, masterminds and facilitators of such attacks operate from Afghan soil with Indian support, a concern echoed in a United Nations Security Council monitoring team report linking Kabul with the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).
Pakistan has also accelerated its Illegal Foreigners Repatriation Plan, under which more than 554,000 undocumented Afghans have returned since April 2025, including 145,000 in August alone.
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