Pakistan Forces Kill 24 Militants in Northwest Raids

Pakistani security forces killed 24 militants in intelligence-based raids on multiple hideouts in the country's northwest, the military and local officials said on Friday, as authorities intensified counterterrorism operations following a series of recent attacks.

According to the military, the operations conducted over the previous day targeted members of the outlawed Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and Baloch separatist groups. Security forces also recovered a cache of weapons during the raids.

The operations followed two militant attacks on Wednesday, including a suicide bombing in which an explosives-laden vehicle rammed into police officers and civilians. In a separate attack, a little-known militant group targeted a police station in Bannu district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province near the Afghan border, injuring several police officers.

President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif praised the security forces for what they described as a swift and effective response to the attacks.

In separate statements, the two leaders reaffirmed that eliminating terrorism remains the government's top priority and vowed to bring those responsible to justice.

Although separate from Afghanistan's ruling Taliban, the TTP maintains close ties with the group. Pakistan has repeatedly accused the Afghan Taliban administration of allowing cross-border militant attacks, an allegation Kabul has consistently denied.

The TTP and the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) have frequently claimed responsibility for attacks inside Pakistan.

Since last year, Pakistan has carried out several military operations targeting what it says are TTP hideouts along the Afghan border.

The government has also accused militant groups of receiving support from India, a claim New Delhi has repeatedly rejected. President Zardari and Prime Minister Sharif reiterated the allegation in their statements.

The military said security forces would continue nationwide operations under Azm-e-Istehkam ("Resolve for Stability"), a counterterrorism campaign launched last year under the National Action Plan to dismantle militant networks across the country.