Pakistan military says 48 militants killed in multiple raids in southwest

ISLAMABAD (AP) — Pakistani security forces killed 48 militants in a series of raids on hideouts in the country’s restive southwest over the past 72 hours, the military said Friday.

The military said in a statement the raids were carried out based on intelligence in the Balochistan districts of Mastung, Sibi, Quetta and Kalat. Security forces also recovered a cache of weapons during the operations.

The military described those killed as “Khawarij,” a term the Pakistani government uses for members of outlawed militant groups, including the Baloch Liberation Army and Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan, or TTP. It said security forces were searching the area for any remaining militants. It also described the killed militants as “Indian-sponsored terrorists,” without providing evidence or further details.

Balochistan is Pakistan’s largest but least populous province and has long faced a separatist insurgency led by the outlawed Baloch Liberation Army. The BLA has carried out numerous attacks in recent years.

The latest development came a day after the military said security forces killed 15 militants who were attempting to cross into northwestern Pakistan from Afghanistan.

Militant violence has surged in Pakistan in recent months, much of it blamed on the TTP, which is separate from but closely allied with the Afghan Taliban. Pakistan says many TTP leaders and insurgents have found sanctuary in Afghanistan since the Taliban returned to power there in 2021, an allegation Kabul denies.