Pakistan says it killed 23 TTP militants in raids near border

Pakistani security forces killed at least 23 militants during raids on two hideouts in the country’s northwest near the border with Afghanistan, the military said Thursday, amid heightened tensions between Islamabad and the Taliban.

The operations took place on Wednesday in the Kurram district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province and triggered intense gunfights, according to a statement from Pakistan’s military. No casualties were reported among security forces.

The military described the militants as members of the Pakistani Taliban, or Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) — a banned group that has waged an insurgency against the Pakistani state for over a decade. Authorities referred to the fighters as “Khawarij,” a derogatory term used to describe insurgents they claim are backed by foreign intelligence, including from Taliban and India — allegations both Taliban and New Delhi deny.

Wednesday’s raids followed a series of operations earlier this week across Pakistan’s northwest that the army said resulted in the deaths of 38 militants.

A fragile truce along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, brokered by Qatar and in effect since October 19, has so far held despite recent flare-ups. The ceasefire followed deadly cross-border clashes sparked by drone strikes in Kabul on October 9.

Key border crossings between the two countries have remained closed for the past 41 days, disrupting trade and adding pressure to already tense bilateral ties.