Nineteen terrorists of the outlawed Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and 11 soldiers were killed during an intelligence-based operation in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, the military said.
The operation was carried out in Orakzai district, which borders Afghanistan, following reports of the presence of terrorists from the group referred to as "Fitna al-Khawarij" on the night of October 7-8, the military’s media wing said in a statement. The term Fitna al-Khawarij is used to describe the banned TTP terror organisation.
During the fierce exchange of fire between security forces and militants, 19 terrorists were killed, the military statement said, adding that 11 Pakistani soldiers, including a Lieutenant Colonel and a Major, also lost their lives. A sanitisation operation is underway to eliminate any remaining militants in the area.
Pakistan has witnessed a surge in militant attacks, particularly in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, following the banned TTP’s decision to end its ceasefire with the government in November 2022. The group had vowed to target security forces, police, and law enforcement agencies.
According to the latest statistics from the Centre for Research and Security Studies (CRSS), Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was the worst-affected region in the third quarter of 2025, accounting for nearly 71 per cent (638) of violence-related fatalities and over 67 per cent (221) of reported violent incidents. Both Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, which share porous borders with Afghanistan, bore the brunt of terrorism, together representing more than 96 per cent of the country’s total violence.
With inputs from PTI
