Quetta, August 26, 2025: Security forces foiled a major cross-border infiltration in Balochistan’s Zhob district, killing 47 terrorists linked to the outlawed Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), security sources confirmed on Tuesday.
According to the sources, a large group of militants, described as operatives of Fitna al-Khwaraj, a term used for the TTP, attempted to cross the Pak-Afghan border in the Sambaza area of Zhob earlier this month. Their movement was detected by security forces, who launched a counter-operation from August 7 to 9, eliminating all 47 infiltrators.
“Most of the terrorists killed were Afghan nationals,” the sources added.
The incident underscores Pakistan’s growing security challenges along the Afghan frontier. Since the Taliban takeover in Afghanistan in 2021, cross-border attacks have surged in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces.
A recent report by the Islamabad-based Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS) noted that the country suffered 78 terrorist attacks in June alone, claiming around 100 lives. Among the fatalities were 53 security personnel, 39 civilians, six militants, and two peace committee members. Another 189 people were injured, the majority of them security personnel.
Overall, violence and counter-operations during the month left 175 people dead — including 77 militants — highlighting the scale of Pakistan’s ongoing battle against terrorism.
