Pakistani security forces have killed 24 militants during a series of raids in the country’s northwestern region, officials said Friday, as authorities intensified counterterrorism operations following recent attacks.
The military said intelligence-based operations were conducted over the past 24 hours against members of the banned Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and Baloch separatist groups.
The operations resulted in the deaths of 24 militants and the recovery of a quantity of weapons, reports UNB from AP.
The raids were launched following two militant attacks on Wednesday, including a suicide attack in which an explosives-laden vehicle struck police personnel and civilians.
In another incident, a previously little-known militant group attacked a police station in Bannu district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, which borders Afghanistan, leaving several police officers injured.
President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif praised the security forces for what they called an effective response to the recent attacks in Bannu.
In separate statements, they said combating terrorism remained the government’s top priority and pledged that those responsible for the attacks would be brought to justice.
The TTP, although separate from Afghanistan’s ruling Taliban, maintains an alliance with the group. Pakistan has repeatedly accused the Afghan Taliban government of allowing cross-border militant activities, a claim Kabul has consistently denied.
The TTP and the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), a Baloch separatist organisation, have frequently claimed responsibility for attacks in Pakistan.
Pakistan has carried out several military operations since last year that it says targeted TTP hideouts along the Afghan border.
The Islamabad government has also accused India of supporting militant groups, a claim New Delhi has repeatedly rejected. Zardari and Sharif repeated the allegation in their statements.
The military said security forces would continue the nationwide counterterrorism campaign, Azm-e-Istehkam (“Resolve for Stability”), launched last year under the National Action Plan to dismantle militant networks across the country.
