GHULAM KHAN: At least 15 militants associated with Fitna al-Khawarij were killed during an intelligence-based operation in the Ghulam Khan sector of North Waziristan after security forces foiled their attempt to infiltrate Pakistan from Afghanistan, security sources said on Thursday.
The operation was carried out on Sept. 2 in the mountainous border area, where security forces targeted a group of armed militants attempting to cross into Pakistan, the sources said.
As a result, at least 15 militants were killed, while no security personnel were reported martyred or wounded in the operation, according to the sources. Twelve bodies have so far been recovered, while a search operation is continuing in the rugged terrain to locate the remaining militants.
The militants were identified by the sources as members of Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), also known as Fitna al-Khawarij. The sources also alleged that the group had received support from Afghanistan.
The operation comes amid continued concerns over TTP activity from Afghan territory. A United Nations Security Council monitoring report published in 2025 said TTP had intensified attacks against Pakistani military and state institutions, while noting reports of the group being harboured in Afghanistan and facilitated in conducting operations. The report also said Pakistan had experienced a sharp rise in cross-border terrorism since 2021, particularly in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan.
A subsequent UN report said TTP had been given greater liberty and support by Afghanistan’s de facto authorities and that attacks by the group against Pakistan had increased. It described TTP as one of the largest terrorist groups operating in Afghanistan and said its attacks on Pakistani security forces and state structures had contributed to military confrontation.
The United Nations Security Council has designated TTP as a terrorist organization. The council says the group has sought to destabilize Pakistan through attacks on the Pakistani military and political figures and has claimed responsibility for numerous deadly attacks in the country.
Meanwhile, a 2024 UN sanctions-monitoring report estimated TTP’s strength at between 6,000 and 6,500 fighters and said the group had intensified attacks inside Pakistan, with more than 800 attacks reported during the relevant period. The report also cited member-state assessments of Taliban acquiescence or support for TTP activity.
Pakistan has repeatedly accused Afghanistan’s Taliban authorities of allowing TTP militants to use Afghan territory to plan and launch attacks against Pakistan. Kabul has denied allowing its territory to be used against other countries.
The latest operation highlights the continuing security challenge along Pakistan’s western border, where authorities have stepped up efforts to prevent militant infiltration and cross-border attacks.
The claims about the Sept. 2 operation could not immediately be independently verified.
