Peshawar, Oct 8: In a major confrontation in Pakistan’s Orakzai district, 19 militants belonging to the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and 11 Pakistani soldiers, including a Lieutenant Colonel and a Major, were killed during an intelligence-driven operation, the military confirmed.
The operation targeted the presence of TTP militants, locally referred to as “Fitna al-Khawarij,” on the intervening night of October 7-8. Intense firefights ensued as security forces engaged the militants, resulting in significant casualties on both sides. A sanitisation operation is underway to eliminate any remaining threats in the area.
The clash highlights a surge in militant activity in Pakistan’s northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan provinces, particularly after the TTP ended its ceasefire with the government in November 2022. Since then, security forces, police, and law enforcement agencies have become frequent targets.
According to the Centre for Research and Security Studies (CRSS), Khyber Pakhtunkhwa accounted for nearly 71% of all violence-related fatalities and over 67% of reported incidents in Pakistan during the third quarter of 2025. Combined with Balochistan, these two provinces, which share porous borders with Afghanistan, experienced over 96% of nationwide militant activity, underscoring the persistent security challenges in the region.