Pakistani Forces Kill 17 Militants in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

Pakistani security forces — the Frontier Corps and police — carried out an intelligence-led joint operation in Karak district, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, killing 17 militants linked to the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and the Mullah Nazir group after a gunbattle that wounded three security personnel and yielded a large cache of arms and ammunition. Authorities said the slain fighters were wanted in multiple cases, including attacks on security forces and kidnappings. A curfew was imposed in Darsha Khel and nearby villages to enable wider combing operations amid reports some militants fled. The raid followed a similar operation in Dera Ismail Khan two days earlier that officials said killed 13 suspected Pakistani Taliban fighters. Officials described the fighters using the term "Khwarij," and analysts say the TTP has been emboldened and allied with the Afghan Taliban since the latter’s return to power in 2021. Separately, one report said an airstrike in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa earlier in the week killed at least 23 civilians, including women and children.