A significant intelligence-based operation (IBO) carried out by Pakistan’s security forces in the Khyber district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa resulted in the neutralisation of 22 India-backed terrorists on April 21, 2026. The operation, which was initiated in response to the reported presence of Fitna al-Khawarij, a militant group supported by India, also saw the tragic death of a 10-year-old child who was martyred due to indiscriminate firing from the terrorists.
According to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the terrorists attempted to evade capture by opening fire indiscriminately, leading to the child’s death. Weapons and ammunition were recovered from the bodies of the slain militants, who had been actively involved in numerous terrorist activities in the region.
The military’s media wing further confirmed that the sanitisation operation is ongoing to eliminate any remaining militants in the area. The ISPR reiterated that Pakistan’s counter-terrorism operations, especially under the Azm-e-Istehkam vision, will continue with full intensity to eradicate foreign-sponsored terrorism from the country.
In addition to this operation, Pakistan has witnessed an increase in cross-border militant activities, particularly from the Afghan Taliban and their allies in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, regions that share borders with Afghanistan. Pakistan responded with Operation Ghazab lil-Haq, a robust military campaign targeting militants, during which 796 Afghan Taliban fighters were killed and over 1,000 were injured.
The escalating violence has seen frequent clashes at the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, with a fierce exchange of fire in October 2025, resulting in 200+ Taliban casualties and 23 Pakistani soldiers martyred.
