Pakistan Reports 74 Militants Killed Near Afghan Border as Cross-Border Tensions Persist

KAUSER NEWS AGENCY | November 13, 2026 | ISLAMABAD/KABUL

Pakistan’s military says its security forces killed 74 suspected militants during raids and operations over the past ten days in areas near Afghanistan, a development that underscores continuing security tensions along the frontier.

According to an Associated Press report published Friday, the military said 43 militants were killed in operations in Mir Ali and Orakzai in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. It reported another 31 killed in Balochistan in operations since November 3. Troops also seized weapons, ammunition and explosives, the military said.

These are figures attributed to Pakistan’s military. Kauser News Agency has not independently verified the identities of those killed, the operational details or the casualty totals.

Why Afghanistan matters

Islamabad has repeatedly alleged that militants, including members of Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), use sanctuaries in Afghanistan to organize attacks inside Pakistan. Afghanistan’s Taliban authorities deny providing such support. Pakistan’s military also alleged foreign backing for militants, including from Afghanistan and India; both countries have denied such accusations.

The TTP is distinct from Afghanistan’s ruling Taliban, though the groups have longstanding ties. The accusations have complicated diplomacy, border security and commerce between the neighbors. Fresh military operations risk further mistrust even when they take place on Pakistani territory.

Pakistan’s President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif praised the security forces, according to AP. Their statements do not resolve the disputed question of external sponsorship.

What remains unverified

Independent confirmation of the reported deaths and the alleged foreign connections was not available in the cited report. The latest announcement should not be interpreted as evidence that Afghanistan’s government directed attacks or that any specific foreign state supported the individuals killed.

Source: Associated Press, November 13, 2026: Pakistan’s army says it killed 74 militants in raids on their hideouts.