International Desk
At least 22 armed insurgents were killed during a major counter-terrorism operation conducted by the Pakistan Army in the Shewa area of North Waziristan. The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the media wing of the Pakistan Armed Forces, officially confirmed the fatalities in a statement released on Tuesday (May 19).
According to the ISPR, the military initiated a targeted ‘sanitization operation’ in the region on May 17 following precise intelligence reports confirming the presence of armed combatants. Over the subsequent 24 hours, security forces cordoned off the designated perimeters. A fierce gunbattle ensued after the trapped insurgents opened fire, resulting in the elimination of 22 combatants. A substantial cache of advanced weaponry, logistics, and ammunition was recovered from the hideouts. The military asserted that the deceased individuals were actively involved in executing high-profile sabotage and insurgent activities across the district.
The army management reiterated that under the broader framework of the ‘Azm-e-Istehkam’ initiative, counter-insurgency drives will proceed at full throttle. Security and law enforcement agencies remain determined to neutralize foreign-funded networks operating within the borders. The military also strongly condemned the insurgents’ tactics of intimidating local residents and using civilians as human shields for safe passage.
Cross-border militancy and ambushes targeting security posts in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan provinces have spiked sharply since the Taliban returned to power in neighboring Afghanistan in 2021. Islamabad has repeatedly accused the Afghan administration of failing to dismantle safe havens used by militant factions executing cross-border raids. Although both nations agreed to a temporary ceasefire following severe border clashes in October 2025, subsequent diplomatic rounds failed to yield a permanent resolution, prompting Pakistan to launch its new military offensive, ‘Ghazab Lil-Haq’, in February this year.