Pakistani military says 49 militants killed in raids across northwest, southwest
Pakistan has accused both the Pakistani Taliban and Baloch separatists of operating from sanctuaries in Afghanistan.
The Pakistani military announced that security forces killed 49 militants in raids conducted in the country's northwest and southwest regions. The operations were carried out following intelligence and aimed to combat insurgents amid a rise in militant violence. In northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, 12 militants were killed, while 37 were killed in southwestern Balochistan province.
The military described the deceased as members of "Fitna al-Khawarij," a term used by the government to refer to the outlawed Pakistani Taliban, and "Fitna al-Hindustan," which denotes the Baloch separatist groups. Pakistan has alleged that both the Pakistani Taliban and Baloch separatists operate from sanctuaries in Afghanistan and receive support from India, claims denied by both countries.
The Pakistani Taliban, also known as Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan or TTP, is a separate group allied with Afghanistan's Taliban. Pakistan has experienced a surge in violence, with much of it attributed to the TTP and Baloch separatist groups. Balochistan, the largest but least populous province of Pakistan, has witnessed an insurgency from ethnic Baloch groups seeking autonomy or independence from the central government.
The province, which shares a significant border with Afghanistan, has also faced attacks by the TTP and the Islamic State group.
Written by urgent.news from Associated Press's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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