Quetta/Peshawar, October 7,2026: Security forces have killed 18 India-backed militants in separate operations in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and Balochistan, security sources said on Wednesday.
According to the sources, the operations were conducted against Fitna al-Khawarij in KP under the Azm-e-Istehkam vision and Fitna al-Hindustan in Balochistan.
Security forces targeted militant hideouts in North Waziristan district and adjoining areas of KP, killing 13 militants, the sources said.
Separately, an operation was conducted against Fitna al-Hindustan in Mastung, Balochistan, in which five militants were killed.
Weapons and ammunition were also recovered from the militants, according to the security sources.
Following the operation, security forces launched a clearance operation in the area to eliminate any remaining militants.
Pakistan has witnessed a significant increase in cross-border militant attacks, particularly in KP and Balochistan, since the Afghan Taliban returned to power in 2021.
The country recorded its highest monthly number of militant attacks in 12 years in September 2026. According to data compiled by the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS), an Islamabad-based independent think tank monitoring anti-state violence in the region, 225 militant attacks were recorded across Pakistan in September, compared with 199 in August, representing a 13 percent increase. The number of attacks rose for the third consecutive month.
Islamabad has repeatedly called on Kabul to prevent its territory from being used by militant organizations to launch attacks inside Pakistan.
Pakistan maintains that the Afghan Taliban authorities have failed to take effective action against groups responsible for attacks on Pakistani security forces and civilians.
Despite several rounds of talks, Islamabad and Kabul have yet to resolve their differences, with the presence and activities of militant groups operating from Afghan territory remaining a major point of contention between the two countries.
