Seven India-backed terrorists were killed in a North Waziristan operation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, security sources said on Friday. The action was an intelligence-based operation (IBO) carried out against the group the authorities refer to as Fitna al-Khawarij.
Sources said the militants’ hideouts were destroyed during the operation. They added that security forces remain committed to wiping out terrorism and securing lasting peace under the Azm-e-Istehkam vision.
Kachhi Operation a Day Earlier
The North Waziristan action followed another operation just a day before, in Balochistan’s Kachhi district. Security sources said six militants linked to Fitna al-Hindustan were killed there under Operation Radd-ul-Fitna 3.
According to the sources, the militants were targeted with quadcopters in the Sani area. Security forces also recovered a large quantity of weapons and ammunition from the site.
Rising Cross-Border Militancy
Pakistan has seen a sharp rise in cross-border terrorist incidents since the Afghan Taliban returned to power in 2021, with KP and Balochistan the worst affected. The trend continued in September 2026, which saw the country’s highest monthly count of militant attacks in 12 years.
The Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS), an independent Islamabad-based think tank that tracks anti-state violence, recorded 225 attacks nationwide in September. That compares with 199 in August, a 13% increase. Militant attacks have now risen for three months in a row.
Islamabad and Kabul Remain at Odds
Islamabad has repeatedly asked Kabul to stop militant groups from using Afghan territory to launch attacks inside Pakistan. It maintains that the Afghan Taliban authorities have not taken effective action against groups behind attacks on Pakistani security forces and civilians. Kabul has disputed this position.
Pakistan launched Operation Ghazab lil-Haq in February 2026. That came months after the two countries agreed to a ceasefire in October 2025 following clashes at several border points.
Several rounds of talks have taken place since, but the two sides have yet to settle their differences. The presence of militant groups on Afghan soil remains the central point of contention.
