Pakistan Says 37 Militants Killed in KP Ground Operation and Strikes Along Afghan Border

ISLAMABAD (Nazrana Times) — Pakistan says its security forces killed at least 37 suspected militants in coordinated ground and aerial counter-terrorism operations in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and across the border in Afghanistan, as tensions between Islamabad and Kabul intensified following a series of deadly attacks.

According to Pakistan’s Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, nine militants were killed during an intelligence-based ground operation in the Kohat, Hangu and Thall areas, while another 28 people described by Pakistani authorities as militants and suicide bombers were killed in airstrikes on three targets in Afghanistan.

Afghan authorities have disputed Pakistan’s account of the cross-border strikes, saying civilians were among those killed.

Nine Killed in Ground Operation

Pakistani authorities said security forces launched a coordinated intelligence-based operation around Kohat, Hangu and Thall following recent terrorist attacks in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

The Information Ministry said nine suspected militants belonging to what the government calls “Fitna al-Khawarij” were killed and several others were wounded during the operation.

Pakistan uses the term “Fitna al-Khawarij” for militants associated with the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).

The operation followed a deadly attack on the old Police Lines complex in Kohat. According to police and Counter-Terrorism Department officials cited by Pakistani media, at least 23 people — including 17 police personnel and six civilians — were killed in that attack, while more than 100 people were wounded.

Pakistan Says 28 Killed in Airstrikes

Pakistan’s Information Ministry said airstrikes were subsequently conducted against three suspected militant targets in Afghanistan.

According to Islamabad’s account, the strikes targeted camps and hideouts associated with Fitna al-Khawarij and affiliated groups. Pakistani authorities said 28 militants, including suspected suicide bombers, were killed.

The ministry said one of the targeted facilities was being used as a training centre for suicide attackers and that weapons and ammunition stored at the targeted locations were also destroyed.

Pakistan described the strikes as “calibrated” and said they were based on intelligence regarding groups allegedly responsible for recent attacks inside Pakistan.

Kabul Reports Civilian Casualties

Afghan Taliban authorities presented a sharply different account.

Deputy government spokesperson Hamdullah Fitrat said a strike on a house in Afghanistan’s eastern Kunar province killed three members of one family and wounded four others.

Afghan officials also reported strikes in Barmal district of Paktika province, where property was damaged.

Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid condemned the strikes and said Afghanistan would respond to what Kabul described as Pakistani aggression.

The competing accounts could not be independently reconciled immediately.

Islamabad Says Afghan-Based Militancy Remains a Threat

Pakistan has repeatedly accused militant groups, particularly the banned TTP, of using Afghan territory to organize and launch attacks inside Pakistan.

The Afghan Taliban government has rejected accusations that it deliberately allows Afghan territory to be used for attacks against neighbouring countries.

Pakistan’s Information Ministry said protecting Pakistani citizens remained the government’s foremost priority and maintained that precautions had been taken during the latest operation to minimize civilian harm.

The latest strikes nevertheless risk further increasing tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan, whose relations have deteriorated over cross-border militancy and security disputes.

Separate Hangu Clash Leaves Six Pakistani Personnel Dead

In a separate security incident in Hangu district on September 20, Pakistan’s military said eight militants were killed during an intense exchange of fire.

The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said Captain Abuzar Farooq and Lieutenant Sheraz Babar were killed along with four other personnel during the fighting.

Security forces subsequently launched a clearance operation in the area.

Counter-Terrorism Campaign to Continue

Pakistani authorities said counter-terrorism operations would continue under the government’s “Azm-e-Istehkam” framework.

President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif have separately praised security personnel involved in recent counter-terrorism operations. The prime minister has reiterated that operations against what the government describes as foreign-sponsored terrorism will continue.

The latest developments come amid a renewed rise in militant violence in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and growing tensions between Islamabad and Kabul over the presence and activities of the TTP and other armed groups in the border region