Pakistan’s military has announced that it killed seven terrorists in an operation in the Kulachi area of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. According to a statement from the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the casualties included three Afghan nationals and two suicide bombers. The military used the term “khawarij” to refer to the militants, a term the state uses for members of the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).
The ISPR statement identified the terrorists as “Indian-sponsored,” noting that the state also uses the term “Fitna al Hindustan” for Balochistan-based groups to highlight India’s alleged role in sponsoring terrorism.
Following the operation, the ISPR expressed an expectation that the interim Afghan government, led by the Afghan Taliban, will uphold its responsibilities and prevent its territory from being used for terrorist acts in Pakistan. This statement comes amidst growing tensions between Islamabad and Kabul over the issue of cross-border terrorism.
Earlier, Pakistan warned the UN Security Council that militant groups operating from sanctuaries inside Afghanistan pose the most significant threat to its national security. Kabul, however, consistently denies these allegations.
This recent operation follows another successful mission earlier this week, in which security forces killed 31 militants in two separate operations in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Lakki Marwat and Bannu districts. The ISPR identified these individuals as belonging to the “Indian proxy Fitna al Khwarij.”
Pakistan has seen a sharp increase in terrorist activities, particularly in the provinces of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, since November 2022. The rise in violence began after the TTP ended its ceasefire agreement with the government and vowed to escalate its attacks on security forces and law enforcement agencies.
