MALAKAND: Security forces have killed at least nine Indian-backed militants and captured eight others in a large-scale terrorist operation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Malakand district, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said on Sunday. The joint intelligence-based operation (IBO) was conducted between July 16 and 20 following confirmed reports of the presence of “Fitna al Khwarij” fighters.
The operation brought together the Pakistan Army, police, Levies, the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD), and the Malakand district administration. Officials said security teams cordoned off the hideout and engaged the extremists in intense gunfire. Nine militants were neutralised, and eight were taken into custody.
Two strongholds used by the extremists were also dismantled, and a significant stockpile of weapons, ammunition, and explosives was recovered. ISPR reported that local residents welcomed the counter-terrorism operation and voiced their support for ongoing efforts to eradicate militancy. Security teams carried out a sanitisation sweep to ensure no additional militants remained in the area.
Law enforcement agencies reaffirmed their resolve to eliminate Indian-sponsored militancy from Pakistan. President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif praised the security forces, civil administration, and all law enforcement units involved. The president said the nation stood united against extremism and pledged that “Fitna al-Hindustan” terrorists would face justice.
Prime Minister Shehbaz described the Malakand anti-terror operation as a model of inter-agency cooperation. He reiterated that every arm of the state remained committed to uprooting terrorism in the country.
Pakistan has experienced a surge in extremist violence, especially in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, since the Taliban’s return to power in Afghanistan in 2021. Despite heightened tensions with India, militant groups did not escalate attacks sharply. However, May 2025 saw a slight increase in attacks, according to data from the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS).
PICSS reported 85 militant strikes in May, up from 81 in April, resulting in 113 fatalities. Those killed included 52 security personnel, 46 civilians, 11 militants, and four members of peace committees. Another 182 people were wounded: 130 civilians, 47 security officials, four militants, and one peace committee member.
The data showed a troubling rise in fatalities among security forces, jumping by 73%. Civilian injuries also surged by 145%, climbing from 53 in April to 130 in May. Conversely, security force injuries dropped by 20%, falling from 59 to 47. Security forces’ own operations in May accounted for the deaths of 59 militants, with five of their personnel martyred.
Combining militant attacks and security responses, total casualties for May reached 172, including 57 security personnel, 65 militants, 46 civilians, and four members of peace committees.
