Security forces eliminated at least 34 militants during a series of high-tempo, intelligence-driven operations conducted across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan on 24 February 2026, officials said.
The operations were carried out as part of an ongoing counterterrorism campaign targeting groups described by authorities as Indian-sponsored proxies operating under the banners of Fitna al-Khwarij and Fitna al-Hindustan.
According to security sources, 26 militants linked to Fitna al-Khwarij were killed in four separate engagements across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
In North Waziristan’s Hassan Khel area, movement of a group attempting to infiltrate through the Pakistan-Afghanistan border was detected by security forces. Troops engaged the infiltrators, killing one militant identified as an Afghan national.
In Lakki Marwat district, an intelligence-based operation led to an intense exchange of fire, during which three militants were neutralized.
Simultaneously, in two separate engagements in the Narmi Khel area of Bannu district, ten militants were killed. In another intelligence-led action in the Mir Ali area of North Waziristan, security forces eliminated twelve militants after what officials described as precise targeting based on credible information.
Separately, in Balochistan’s Sambaza area of Zhob district, eight militants affiliated with Fitna al-Hindustan were killed during an intelligence-based operation. Officials said the militants were engaged after their presence was confirmed through surveillance.
Weapons and ammunition were recovered from the deceased militants, who authorities said had been involved in multiple attacks in the region.
Security officials reiterated that clearance and sanitization operations were ongoing in affected areas to ensure the elimination of any remaining militant elements.
The operations are part of the broader counterterrorism campaign under the vision of “Azm e Istehkam,” approved by the Federal Apex Committee under the National Action Plan framework. Authorities maintained that security forces and law enforcement agencies remain committed to dismantling foreign-sponsored militant networks and securing the country’s frontiers.
