Heavy fighting broke out on Friday between Pakistani security forces and Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) militants in the Bajaur region of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, leaving at least two soldiers dead, officials and local sources confirmed.

Security sources said the clashes began after militants attacked a security post, sparking intense gunfire that continued through the day. A rocket fired during the fighting struck a civilian home, killing three people and injuring at least 11 others.

The violence follows a separate assault earlier this week in Dera Ismail Khan, where militants targeted a security training facility. Authorities have yet to release an official casualty count from that attack, and no group has claimed responsibility.

The Pakistani military said on Wednesday it had killed 30 suspected TTP fighters in Kurram district during a series of retaliatory operations aimed at suppressing a recent surge in militant activity.

Military spokesperson Major General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry told reporters that in 2024 alone, over 1,000 intelligence-based operations had been conducted across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, killing 769 militants, including 58 Afghan nationals.

A report by the Centre for Research and Security Studies (CRSS) noted that Pakistan saw a 46% rise in violence in the third quarter of 2025, recording 901 deaths and nearly 600 injuries, including civilians.

The Bajaur and adjoining tribal areas have witnessed frequent attacks by the TTP, which Islamabad accuses of operating from safe havens inside Afghanistan-a charge the Taliban administration denies.

Analysts say the renewed violence underscores the fragility of Pakistan's counterterrorism efforts and the growing threat along its northwestern frontier.

The persistent border insecurity, they warn, risks worsening tensions with Afghanistan and undermines Pakistan's broader campaign to restore stability in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

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