31 ‘Indian-Sponsored Terrorists’ Killed in Lakki Marwat, Bannu Operations: ISPR

RAWALPINDI: Security forces eliminated 31 terrorists belonging to the Indian proxy group “Fitna al Khwarij” in two separate operations in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said in a statement on Monday.

According to the military’s media wing, an intelligence-based operation was carried out in Lakki Marwat district on Sept 13 after reports of militant presence. “During the conduct of the operation, own troops effectively engaged the Khwarij location, and after an intense fire exchange, 14 Indian-sponsored Khwarij were sent to hell,” the statement read.

Another intelligence-based operation in Bannu district on Sept 14 left 17 more militants dead after a fierce exchange of fire.

ISPR said sanitisation operations were ongoing in the two districts to eliminate any remaining terrorists, reaffirming that Pakistan’s security forces were determined to wipe out “the menace of Indian-sponsored terrorism” from the country.

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Pakistan has witnessed a sharp rise in cross-border militant activity since the Taliban’s return to power in Afghanistan in 2021, particularly in the border provinces of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, addressing the issue recently, reiterated Pakistan’s resolve to eliminate terrorism. He called on Afghanistan to “choose between siding with terrorists or standing with Pakistan”, warning that Islamabad would show “zero tolerance for ambiguity on the issue.”

Pakistan has hosted Afghan refugees for over four decades, from the Soviet invasion in 1979 to the Taliban’s resurgence in 2021. Following a crackdown on undocumented Afghans in 2023, more than 554,000 individuals have been repatriated under the Illegal Foreigners Repatriation Plan since April 2025 — including 145,000 in August alone.

Regional concerns

Security officials maintain that masterminds and facilitators of terror networks operate from Afghanistan with Indian backing. The two countries share a porous 2,500km border with multiple crossing points that serve as vital trade routes and community linkages but also present serious security challenges.

Islamabad has repeatedly urged Kabul to prevent its soil from being used by groups such as the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) to launch attacks inside Pakistan.

These concerns were echoed in a recent report by the UN Security Council’s Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team, which cited evidence of logistical, operational and financial support extended by Kabul to the TTP.

Pakistan witnessed a 74 per cent surge in militant incidents in August compared to July, according to the Islamabad-based Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS). The think tank recorded 194 fatalities in militant attacks during the month alone.