Pakistani Forces Kill 54 Militants in Border Clash

Pakistani security forces killed 54 militants overnight in one of the deadliest border confrontations in recent years, Arab News reported. The insurgents, identified by intelligence as “Khwarij” (Pakistani Taliban), attempted to infiltrate from Afghanistan near North Waziristan, a former TTP stronghold.

The military stated the militants were sent by “foreign masters” to conduct attacks in Pakistan, coinciding with India’s accusations against Islamabad following a Kashmir tourist assault. Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi confirmed this marked the highest single-day militant death toll in ongoing counterterrorism operations.

President Asif Ali Zardari and PM Shehbaz Sharif praised the security forces’ success. Information Minister Attaullah Tarar accused India of fabricating claims to divert Pakistan’s focus from its western border, alleging New Delhi supports TTP and Baloch separatists.

Violence has escalated since the Afghan Taliban’s 2021 takeover, with TTP fighters using Afghanistan as a sanctuary. The incident follows March’s Balochistan train attack that killed 30 hostages.