Islamabad, September 06 (H.S.): At least 21 terrorists have been killed in Pakistan’s restive Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, the military’s media wing, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), said in a statement on Sunday.

According to the ISPR, the terrorists were killed in separate encounters conducted between September 3 and 5.

The ISPR statement said that following a security operation carried out on the night of August 31-September 1 in North Waziristan district along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, security forces killed 10 more terrorists who had been hiding in the area. With these fatalities, the total number of terrorists killed while allegedly attempting to infiltrate the country rose to 25.

Of the 21 terrorists killed between September 3 and 5, four were eliminated in two separate encounters during joint operations in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Kohat and Dera Ismail Khan districts, according to the report.

The ISPR said the Afghan Taliban government had “consistently failed” to ensure effective management of the border and fulfil its international obligations to combat terrorism. It added that Pakistan’s security forces remained resolute in their commitment to protecting the country’s borders.

According to a report by the Centre for Research and Security Studies, Pakistan has witnessed a rise in militant activity since the Afghan Taliban returned to power in 2021, particularly in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan provinces. The two provinces remained the country’s principal centres of violence during the second quarter of 2026, with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa emerging as the worst-affected region.

The report said that approximately 96 per cent of all violence-related deaths recorded across Pakistan during the quarter occurred in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan. More than 61 per cent of the total deaths, or 475 fatalities, were reported in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, while Balochistan accounted for 34 per cent, with 265 deaths.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa also recorded the highest number of violent incidents during the quarter. A total of 151 incidents were reported in the province, accounting for 57 per cent of all such cases nationwide. Balochistan followed with 94 incidents, representing 35 per cent of the countrywide total.

---------------

Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar