Pakistani’s military says security forces killed 49 militants in raids in northwest and southwest

The National Transportation Safety Board logo and signage are seen at a news conference at NTSB headquarters in Washington, Dec. 18, 2017. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik, File) 2026-08-21T13:40:41Z ISLAMABAD (AP) — Pakistani security forces acting on intelligence raided multiple militant hideouts in the country’s northwest and southwest, killing 49 militants, the military said Friday, as authorities intensify operations against insurgents amid a surge in militant violence. Twelve militants were killed in separate operations this week in northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, which borders Afghanistan, the military said in a statement. Another 37 were killed in operations in southwestern Balochistan province. The military described those killed as members of “ Fitna al-Khawarij " and “Fitna al-Hindustan,” terms the government uses for the outlawed Taliban" class="entity-link entity-organization" data-entity-id="17628" data-entity-type="organization">Pakistani Taliban and Baloch separatist groups, respectively. Pakistan has accused both the Taliban" class="entity-link entity-organization" data-entity-id="17628" data-entity-type="organization">Pakistani Taliban and Baloch separatists of operating from sanctuaries in Afghanistan and receiving support from India. Both Afghanistan and India deny the allegations. The Taliban" class="entity-link entity-organization" data-entity-id="17628" data-entity-type="organization">Pakistani Taliban, known as Taliban-Pakistan" class="entity-link entity-organization" data-entity-id="124959" data-entity-type="organization">Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan, or TTP, is a separate group but is closely allied with Afghanistan’s Taliban. Pakistan has seen a surge in violence, much of it blamed on TTP and Baloch separatist groups. Balochistan, Pakistan’s largest but least populous province , has long been the site of an insurgency by ethnic Baloch groups seeking greater autonomy or independence from Pakistan’s central government. The province, which shares a long border with Afghanistan, has also seen attacks by the TTP and the Islamic State group.