(MENAFN- Khaama Press) Eleven Pakistani soldiers, including two officers, and nineteen militants were killed in a major counterterror operation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's Orakzai district, officials confirmed Wednesday.
Eleven Pakistani soldiers, including a Lieutenant Colonel and a Major, were killed during a major counterterrorism operation in the northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, the Pakistan Army said on Wednesday. Nineteen militants were also killed in the fighting.

The military said the clashes broke out late Tuesday in Orakzai district, near the Afghanistan border, following intelligence reports about the presence of terrorists linked to Fitna al-Khawarij, a term used by the government to describe extremist factions such as Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).

Security forces launched what officials described as a“sanitisation” operation to eliminate remaining militants in the area.“The Pakistan Army remains committed to eradicating the menace of terrorism and the sacrifices of our brave soldiers will not go in vain,” the statement added.

Last month, 17 TTP militants were killed in a similar multi-service operation in Karak district, where three police officers were injured. Earlier, a separate raid in Dera Ismail Khan left 13 suspected Pakistani Taliban fighters dead.

Pakistan has seen a sharp resurgence of terrorism in recent years, with most attacks claimed by separatist groups and the TTP - an organization distinct from, but allied with, the Afghan Taliban. The group has intensified attacks since the Taliban's takeover of Afghanistan in 2021, with many of its members believed to operate from Afghanistan soil.

The violence in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan has surged dramatically, accounting for more than 96% of terror incidents across Pakistan. A local think tank reported that terrorism-related violence rose 46% in the past three months alone, resulting in over 900 deaths and nearly 600 injuries nationwide.

In one of the deadliest incidents last month, a government airstrike in the Tirah Valley, targeting a TTP bomb-making site, killed at least 30 civilians, including women and children. Officials said the group was using locals as human shields.

Observers warn that the renewed wave of militant activity threatens to further destabilize Pakistan's border regions, already strained by economic hardship and security challenges. Analysts say Islamabad faces growing pressure to strengthen intelligence operations and border controls amid fears of a spillover from Afghanistan's instability.

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