ISLAMABAD: Security forces have killed 18 militants in separate intelligence-based operations in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and Balochistan, security sources said on Wednesday.
According to the sources, the operations were conducted against what they described as Fitna al-Khawarij in KP under the Azm-e-Istehkam framework and Fitna al-Hindustan in Balochistan.
In KP, security forces carried out operations in North Waziristan and nearby areas, targeting militant positions and killing 13 militants, the sources said.
In a separate operation in Mastung, Balochistan, five militants were killed during an engagement with security forces, according to security sources.
A quantity of weapons and ammunition was also recovered from the militants, while a subsequent sanitisation operation was launched to clear the area and search for any remaining threats.
Pakistan has faced a sustained increase in militant violence, particularly in KP and Balochistan, since the Afghan Taliban returned to power in Afghanistan in 2021.
The country recorded 225 militant attacks in September 2026, the highest monthly tally in 12 years, according to data compiled by the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS). The figure was 13% higher than the 199 attacks reported in August, marking the third consecutive monthly rise.
Islamabad has repeatedly called on the Afghan Taliban authorities to prevent militant groups from using Afghan territory to launch attacks against Pakistan.
Pakistan maintains that Kabul has not taken sufficient measures against organisations allegedly involved in attacks on Pakistani security personnel and civilians.
Despite several rounds of dialogue, the two countries continue to face differences, with the presence and activities of militant groups on Afghan soil remaining a key source of tension between Islamabad and Kabul.
