ISLAMABAD, Pakistan — Pakistan’s military said Sunday that it had killed 54 members of the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) during an operation in North Waziristan, thwarting an attempt by militants to cross into the country from neighboring Afghanistan.
According to a statement from the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the media wing of the Pakistani military, a group of armed militants tried to infiltrate through the Hassan Khel area of North Waziristan over three consecutive nights, April 25–27.
“Our forces responded effectively and foiled the infiltration attempt,” the military said. “As a result of precise and professional engagement, all 54 militants were killed.”
The statement referred to the TTP fighters as “Khawarij,” a term historically used in Islamic discourse to describe extremists.
The military also suggested that the timing of the militants’ actions — coinciding with accusations made by India against Pakistan — indicated possible coordination, though it did not provide evidence to support the claim.
The military said the clash resulted in the highest number of militant casualties recorded in a single encounter since the launch of Pakistan’s recent counterterrorism campaign.
Pakistan has long accused the TTP of using safe havens inside Afghanistan to stage cross-border attacks, a charge the Taliban authorities in Kabul have repeatedly denied.
