Pakistan’s armed forces have killed 74 "Indian-backed" militants during extensive counterterrorism operations across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan provinces over the past several days, recovering a large cache of weapons, ammunition, and explosives.

According to Geo News, the military’s media wing, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), announced the developments in a statement on Friday (November 13). The intelligence-based operations (IBOs) were conducted in the Kurram area of Balochistan’s Quetta district, as well as the Mir Ali and Orakzai areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

ISPR stated that as part of ongoing counterterrorism efforts in Balochistan, security forces launched a large-scale operation on November 3 against members of the Fitna al-Khawarij and Fitna al-Hindustan groups in the Kurram area of Quetta district.

"During the conduct of these intelligence-based operations, own troops effectively engaged multiple terrorist hideouts, and after an intense exchange of fire, 31 Indian-sponsored Khawarij were sent to hell," the statement read, adding that weapons, ammunition, and explosives were seized from the sites.

In separate intelligence-based operations over the past 48 hours in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Mir Ali and Orakzai areas, the military reported killing an additional 43 militants.

ISPR noted that security forces have been conducting sustained operations across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to dismantle militant networks and neutralize threats. "During the last 48 hours, troops effectively targeted multiple terrorist locations in a series of operations. Following intense firefights, 35 members of the Indian-backed Fitna al-Khawarij were killed in Mir Ali, while eight Khawarij were neutralized in Orakzai, dealing a major blow to active networks in these areas," the statement added.

The military recovered substantial quantities of weapons, ammunition, and explosives—including locally manufactured explosives and improvised explosive devices (IEDs)—foiling planned terrorist attacks.

Clearance operations are ongoing to eliminate any remaining militants hiding in the areas. ISPR affirmed that counterterrorism campaigns by security forces and law enforcement agencies under the Azm-e-Istehkam vision will continue at full pace until foreign-sponsored terrorism is completely eradicated from the country.

Terrorist incidents in Pakistan have surged since the Taliban returned to power in Afghanistan in 2021, with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan bearing the brunt of the violence.

According to a report by the Center for Research and Security Studies (CRSS), the two provinces were the primary epicenters of violence in Pakistan during the second quarter of 2026, with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa suffering the heaviest toll.

The report revealed that nearly 96 percent of all violence-related fatalities during those three months occurred in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan. Over 61 percent of those killed—475 people—were from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, while 34 percent, or 265 people, were killed in Balochistan.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa also recorded the highest number of violent incidents at 151, accounting for 57 percent of the national total, followed by Balochistan with 94 incidents, or 35 percent—underscoring the concentration of militant activity in these two border provinces.