The Pakistan Army announced on Sunday that it has killed 54 militants attempting to infiltrate the country through the Pakistan-Afghanistan border over a three-day period, marking one of the deadliest anti-militancy operations in recent months.
According to an official army statement, the infiltration was detected between Friday and Sunday in the northern province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Security forces intercepted what they described as a large group of jihadists trying to cross into Pakistan “on behest of their foreign masters” to carry out high-profile terrorist attacks within the country.
“This group was attempting to undertake coordinated terrorist activities,” the army said. “Our troops responded swiftly, attacking from three sides and neutralizing the entire group.”
Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi confirmed the operation during a press briefing in Lahore, stating that the effort resulted in the highest militant death toll in any single operation to date.
“This is the biggest number of this ongoing operation till today, such a big number has never been killed before,” Naqvi said. “Our soldiers attacked them from three directions and eliminated the threat.”
The military also reported the recovery of a significant cache of weapons, ammunition, and explosives from the slain infiltrators. The operation follows a separate incident just a day earlier in which 15 militants were killed and two Pakistani soldiers lost their lives in three separate clashes within the same province.
Pakistan has witnessed a sharp surge in militant violence since the Taliban’s return to power in neighboring Afghanistan in 2021. Islamabad accuses the Afghan Taliban regime of providing sanctuary to groups like the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), a claim the Taliban government consistently denies.
According to figures compiled by AFP, more than 200 people—mostly security personnel—have been killed in militant attacks in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan provinces since the start of 2025.
Tensions are also running high in the region, as neighboring India has blamed Pakistan for backing cross-border terrorism after an April 22 attack in Kashmir left 26 civilians dead—the worst such assault in years. Pakistan has strongly denied any involvement.
As the security situation in Pakistan remains volatile, officials have vowed to intensify operations along the western border and have urged the Afghan Taliban to take stronger action against militant elements operating within its territory.
Sources By Agencies
