Pakistan Military Raids Kill 49 Militants in Two Provinces

Pakistani security forces have killed 49 militants in a series of intelligence-led raids across the country's northwest and southwest, the military announced on Friday. The operations come as authorities step up efforts to counter a recent surge in insurgent activity.

In the northwestern province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, which shares a border with Afghanistan, 12 militants were killed in separate operations this week. A further 37 were killed in operations in the southwestern province of Balochistan.

The military identified those killed as members of groups it refers to as "Fitna al-Khawarij" and "Fitna al-Hindustan" — terms used by the government for the outlawed Pakistani Taliban (TTP) and Baloch separatist organisations, respectively.

Pakistan has repeatedly accused both the TTP and Baloch separatists of operating from sanctuaries in Afghanistan and of receiving support from India. Both Afghanistan and India have denied these allegations.

The TTP, though a separate entity, is closely allied with Afghanistan's Taliban. Pakistan has witnessed a rise in violence in recent months, much of it attributed to the TTP and Baloch separatist groups.

Balochistan, Pakistan's largest but least populated province, has long been the scene of an insurgency by ethnic Baloch groups seeking greater autonomy or outright independence. The province, which also borders Afghanistan, has additionally seen attacks claimed by the TTP and the Islamic State group.