• Pakistan witnessed sharp rise in violence in third quarter of 2025, 46% surge compared to previous quarter

ISLAMABAD

At least 11 Pakistani security personnel including two officers were killed during a clash with militants in the country's northwest, the military said on Wednesday.

The military's media wing said in a statement that security forces conducted an intelligence-based operation late Tuesday in the Orakzai district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.

During the conduct of operation, 19 terrorists were killed due to "effective engagement" by the troops, but during the exchange of fire, Lt. Col. Junaid Arif, 39, along with second in command Major Tayyab Rahat, 33, "paid the ultimate sacrifice" and were killed along with nine others.

Last month, at least 12 Pakistani soldiers were killed during an exchange of fire with terrorists in the province's South Waziristan district.

Pakistan has seen an increase in militant attacks in recent years. Islamabad accuses Kabul of failing to prevent TTP terrorists from carrying out attacks in Pakistan.

Afghanistan, however, denies the charges, reaffirming the commitment to not allow its soil for attacks on the neighboring country.

At the Moscow Format Consultations on Afghanistan on Tuesday, Pakistan reaffirmed its commitment to a peaceful, stable, and secure Afghanistan. Pakistan’s Special Representative to Afghanistan Mohammad Sadiq said he spoke about the "urgent need for collective regional efforts to effectively counter terrorism and dismantle all terrorist groups operating from Afghan soil."

Referring to a recent joint statement by several countries that raised concerns about the presence of various militant groups in Afghanistan, Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi said that no such group exists on his country’s soil.

“I wish to clearly state that no group exists in Afghanistan that uses our territory to create problems for other countries,” he stressed.

He, however, added that Afghan intelligence agencies have indicated that ISIS (Daesh) and other groups have recently established training centers in other countries in the region, “which is a matter of concern for the Afghan government.”

Third quarter of 2025 sees surge in violence inside Pakistan

Pakistan witnessed a sharp rise in violence in the third quarter of 2025, with at least 901 deaths and 599 injuries across 329 incidents of terror attacks and counter-terror operations, according to a report by the Center for Research and Security Studies (CRSS).

The data reflects a 46% surge compared to the previous quarter, putting 2025 on track to surpass last year’s total of 2,546 fatalities, as this year the country has recorded 2,414 fatalities so far.

The provinces of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan accounted for nearly 96% of the total violence, with the former emerging as the worst-hit region, recording nearly 71% or 638 of all violence-related fatalities and over 67% or 221 of the incidents.

Balochistan followed with 25% or 230 of the fatalities and 85 incidents during the same period.