By The South Asia Times

ISLAMABAD -  Pakistan's military said on Friday that security forces killed 24 militants during a series of intelligence-based operations in the northwestern Bannu district and surrounding areas, following a recent surge in militant violence, including a vehicle-borne suicide bombing that targeted law enforcement personnel.

In a statement, the military's media wing, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), said the operations were launched after recent attacks on police and other law enforcement agencies in Bannu, where militants also targeted civilians.

The military described the slain militants as members of "Fitna Al-Khwarij," the term officially used by Pakistan for the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), and alleged that the group operates as an "Indian proxy."

According to the ISPR, fierce exchanges of fire took place in Bannu and adjoining areas over the past 24 hours, resulting in the deaths of 24 militants. Security forces also recovered weapons and ammunition from those killed.

"The operations in the area will continue, and the perpetrators of these heinous and cowardly acts will be brought to justice," the statement said, adding that Pakistan's counterterrorism campaign under Azm-e-Istehkam, approved by the Federal Apex Committee on the National Action Plan, would continue "at full pace" to eliminate what it described as foreign-sponsored terrorism.

No information was provided on casualties among security forces during the latest operations.

Pakistan has witnessed a sharp increase in militant attacks since the collapse of a ceasefire between the Pakistani Taliban and the government in late 2022. The violence has been concentrated largely in the northwestern provinces of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and parts of neighboring Balochistan.

Bannu district, located near Pakistan's border with Afghanistan, has become one of the key flashpoints for attacks targeting security forces, police, and government installations. Militants frequently employ roadside bombs, ambushes, and suicide attacks against security personnel.

Pakistani authorities have repeatedly blamed the TTP for orchestrating such attacks and say the group has intensified cross-border operations from sanctuaries inside Afghanistan.

Islamabad has consistently maintained that senior TTP leaders, operational commanders, training facilities, and logistical networks are based in Afghanistan, particularly in eastern provinces bordering Pakistan. Pakistani officials say militants exploit the porous frontier to launch attacks before retreating across the border.

The Afghan Taliban regime has repeatedly rejected those allegations, insisting it does not allow Afghan territory to be used against any other country and urging Pakistan to address its internal security challenges domestically.

The issue has remained a major source of tension between Islamabad and Kabul despite diplomatic engagement between the two neighboring countries.