ISLAMABAD: Security forces have foiled an attempted cross-border infiltration and killed 15 India-sponsored Fitna al-Khawarij militants along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border opposite North Waziristan, the military’s media wing said Thursday.
According to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the movement of a group of militants trying to enter Pakistan was detected during the night of August 31 and September 1.
Security personnel responded after detecting the infiltration attempt and engaged the militants with “professionalism and patience,” the ISPR said.
The ensuing engagement continued for approximately 36 hours, ultimately resulting in the elimination of 15 terrorists.
Weapons recovered during sanitisation operation
Following the operation, security forces launched a sanitisation drive in the area and recovered a substantial cache of weapons and ammunition from the militants.
The ISPR said the recovered material provided further evidence of what it described as the “nefarious designs” of the terrorists and their facilitators seeking to undermine peace and stability in Pakistan.
The military said the latest incident further reinforced Pakistan’s concerns over the use of Afghan territory for cross-border terrorism.
The ISPR once again criticised the Afghan Taliban authorities for failing to prevent militants from operating from their soil, as well as for not implementing effective border-control measures and meeting their international commitments.
Security forces, the statement said, remain fully committed to protecting Pakistan’s territorial boundaries and confronting militant threats.
A sanitisation operation is continuing to locate and eliminate any remaining India-sponsored Fitna al-Khawarij elements in the area.
Counterterrorism campaign to continue
The ISPR said counterterrorism operations would continue with full momentum under the government’s Azm-e-Istehkam framework, with the objective of eliminating foreign-sponsored and supported terrorism from the country.
Pakistan has faced a significant increase in militant violence since 2021, particularly in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, following the return of the Afghan Taliban to power in Afghanistan.
KP, Balochistan remain major violence hotspots
Data from the Centre for Research and Security Studies (CRSS) shows that KP and Balochistan continued to account for the overwhelming majority of violence-related fatalities in Pakistan during the second quarter of 2026.
The two provinces together recorded nearly 96% of all violence-related deaths during the period.
KP was the worst-affected province, accounting for more than 61% of fatalities, or 475 deaths, while Balochistan recorded 265 deaths, representing around 34% of the national total.
KP also registered the highest number of violent incidents, with 151 cases, or 57% of the nationwide figure.
Balochistan reported another 94 incidents, equivalent to 35% of the total.
The figures underline the continuing concentration of militant activity along Pakistan’s western frontier and the security challenges confronting both provinces.
