Pakistan Forces Kill 24 Militants in Bannu Operations

RAWALPINDI - Pakistani security forces have killed 24 militants in intelligence-based operations conducted over the past 24 hours in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province near the Afghan border, the military's media wing said on Friday .

The operations targeted fighters linked to recent bombings, including a July 16 vehicle-borne improvised explosive device (VBIED) attack on the Miryan police station that killed one police officer and wounded 10 others .

According to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the militants were identified as "khwarij" belonging to the "Indian proxy Fitna al-Khawarij" , a term used by the state to describe the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) . Weapons and ammunition were recovered from the killed militants.

The operations are part of Pakistan's ongoing Azm-e-Istehkam counterterrorism campaign, launched in response to a recent uptick in violence in the region. No losses were reported among Pakistani forces .

The Miryan Police Station Attack

On July 16, 2026, a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device (VBIED) targeted the Miryan police station in Bannu, killing one police officer and wounding 10 others . The attack was claimed by the Ittehad-ul-Mujahideen Pakistan (IMP) , a group Pakistan has identified as an operational arm of the TTP and an Indian proxy .

The Indian Proxy Nexus

Pakistan has repeatedly presented evidence that the TTP and its affiliates operate as proxies for India's Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), receiving funding, weapons, and operational guidance from Afghan soil with the support of the Afghan Taliban regime .

The term "Fitna al-Khawarij" is used by Pakistan's official establishment to describe Indian-sponsored terrorist networks that target Pakistani civilians and security forces .

Azm-e-Istehkam Continues

Pakistan's counterterrorism campaign under the vision "Azm-e-Istehkam" continues at full pace to eliminate the menace of foreign-sponsored terrorism from the country. Security forces remain committed to defending the nation against Indian proxy networks and cross-border terrorism.