Pakistani forces kill nine militants in raid near Afghan border

Pakistani security forces have conducted a raid on a militant hideout in the restive northwest region, near the Afghan border, killing nine militants, including a high-profile insurgent.

According to a statement from the Pakistani military, the operation took place in Dera Ismail Khan, located in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, Caliber.Az reports, citing the London-based Arabic international newspaper Asharq Al-Awsat.

Among those killed was a notorious militant identified as Shireen, who had been involved in last month’s killing of Army Captain Hasnain Akhtar during a shootout in the region.

The military described the militants as "Khwarij," a term used by the Pakistani government to refer to militants aligned with the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), an extremist group linked to the Taliban in Afghanistan. The TTP has seen a resurgence in recent years, especially after the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan in 2021, which has emboldened the group and contributed to a rise in militant attacks across Pakistan.

The military’s statement emphasized that the operation was part of ongoing efforts to combat the TTP’s growing threat, which has led to a significant increase in violence in the region.

The raid came just one day after Pakistani forces killed eight militants in the North Waziristan district, another volatile area near the Afghan border, as they attempted to cross into Afghanistan. These operations reflect Pakistan’s intensified military campaign against militant groups in the northwest, which has become a focal point of regional instability.

By Khagan Isayev