Security forces kill seven Pakistani Taliban militants in troubled northwest — military

• The militants were killed in separate intelligence-based operations in the North Waziristan district that borders Afghanistan
• The development comes hours after a militant attack in Pakistan’s northwest killed four, including a top administration official

ISLAMABAD: Security forces have killed seven Pakistani Taliban militants in the northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province, the Pakistani military said on Tuesday, as the South Asian country battles a surge in militancy.

The militants were killed in two intelligence-based operations in the North Waziristan district that borders Afghanistan, according to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the Pakistani military’s media wing.

Weapons and ammunition were also recovered from the deceased “Indian-sponsored” militants, who remained actively involved in attacks against security forces and law enforcement agencies and target killing of civilians.

There was no immediate response from the Indian side to the statement.

“Sanitization operations are being conducted to eliminate any other Indian-sponsored kharji (militant) found in the area,” the ISPR said in a statement.

KP has seen a surge in militancy in recent years, with the Pakistani Taliban, or the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), and other militant groups frequently targeting security forces convoys and check-posts, besides targeted killings and kidnappings of law enforcers and government officials.

Earlier in the day, a militant attack on a government convoy in the province killed a senior administration official, two police officers and a civilian, officials said.

Islamabad has long accused Kabul of allowing its soil and India of backing militant groups, including the TTP, for attacks against Pakistan. Kabul and New Delhi have consistently denied this.

The uptick in militant violence triggered fierce clashes between Pakistan and Afghanistan in Oct. The two countries agreed to a ceasefire in Doha on Oct. 19, but tensions remain high between the neighbors.