PESHAWAR: Five militants were killed and two others wounded on Tuesday, Oct. 6, when Pakistani security forces carried out an operation against suspected militant hideouts in North Waziristan, security officials said.
The operation targeted militant positions in North Waziristan and nearby areas after security forces received information about the presence of armed militants, according to security reports. The reports identified the militants as India-backed terrorists, but did not provide further details about their identities or the groups they belonged to.
Security forces said they remain focused on eliminating militant threats and restoring lasting peace in the region. President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif praised the security forces for the operation. Zardari said security operations were helping prevent militant groups from carrying out their plans.
Zardari also said operations against Fitna al-Khawarij would continue until terrorism is eliminated.Shehbaz Sharif also said security forces had taken strong action against the militants and disrupted their plans. He added that operations against militant groups would continue until the threat of terrorism is removed.
The North Waziristan operation came one day after security forces reported killing three Fitna al-Khawarij militants during an intelligence-based operation (IBO) in Dera Ismail Khan, also in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
The operation was carried out under the government's Azm-e-Istehkam security strategy. The latest operations come as Pakistan faces a growing number of militant attacks, particularly in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, since the Afghan Taliban returned to power in Afghanistan in 2021.
Pakistan recorded its highest monthly number of militant attacks in 12 years in September 2026. According to the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS), 225 militant attacks were reported nationwide in September, up from 199 in August, a 13% increase.
The attacks have risen for the third straight month, according to the Islamabad-based research organization. Pakistan has repeatedly called on Afghanistan's Taliban government to stop militant groups from using Afghan territory to launch attacks inside Pakistan. Islamabad says Afghan authorities have not taken sufficient action against groups responsible for attacks on Pakistani security forces and civilians.
