Pakistan says 22 India-backed militants killed in Bannu operation

Pakistan’s military says its security forces have killed 22 “India-backed” militants during an intelligence-based operation in the Bannu district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

According to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), troops launched the raid on November 24 after receiving reports of the presence of Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) fighters — described by the army as “Fitna al-Khawarij,” Caliber.Az reports per Pakistani media.

The operation led to an intense exchange of fire before the militants were killed.

ISPR said a follow-up sanitisation operation is underway to ensure no other fighters remain in the area. It added that counterterrorism efforts would continue under the government’s “Azm-e-Istehkam” campaign.

President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif praised the forces for what they called a significant success, saying the nation stood firmly behind the security services in the fight against militancy.

The military operation came a day after three attackers targeted the Federal Constabulary headquarters in Peshawar. A preliminary police report said a suicide bomber detonated explosives at the main gate, killing three FC personnel, before two gunmen entered the compound and were shot dead during a firefight.

The attack was the latest in a series of incidents across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, where Pakistan has reported a surge in militant activity since 2021, following the Taliban takeover in Afghanistan. Authorities say KP alone recorded more than 600 incidents in the first eight months of 2025.

Islamabad has repeatedly urged the Taliban administration in Kabul to prevent cross-border attacks, with tensions rising this year after a series of exchanges along the frontier.

By Aghakazim Guliyev