What happened
Security forces killed at least 23 militants during a series of intelligence-based operations conducted over 48 hours in several areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the military’s media wing said on 21 May 2026.
In a statement, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said forces intensified operations in militant strongholds including Datta Khel, Spinwam and Bannu to dismantle networks and remove security threats based on intelligence inputs. It said troops engaged several hideouts in fierce encounters.
“Following intense and fierce exchanges of fire, 23 more khawarij belonging to Indian-sponsored Fitna al-Khawarij, including kharji ringleader Jan Meer alias Toor Saqib, have been neutralised,” the statement said, describing the operations as a significant blow to militant networks in the region.
The military said Jan Meer carried a government-announced head money and was wanted over multiple attacks targeting security personnel and civilians.
What was recovered
According to the ISPR, security forces recovered weapons, ammunition and a large cache of explosives, including improvised explosive devices, from the militants. During subsequent sanitisation operations, troops uncovered and destroyed underground tunnels and bunkers that the military said were used by the militants.
The ISPR reiterated that sanitisation operations would continue under Operation Azm-e-Istehkam, which the Apex Committee of the National Action Plan approved in June 2024 to eliminate terrorism and extremism nationwide.
Reaction and context
Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi praised the security forces, saying they had foiled the designs of “Indian-sponsored terrorists” and that intelligence-based operations would continue until terrorism was completely eradicated. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and President Asif Ali Zardari also commended the forces and reaffirmed the government’s commitment to Operation Azm-e-Istehkam.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has recorded a sharp rise in militant violence since the US withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2022, particularly targeting security forces and police. Pakistan Today, citing the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies, reported that 85 verified terrorist attacks were recorded in April compared with 146 in March, a 42 percent decline, with fatalities from such attacks falling from 106 to 60.
What remains uncertain
The casualty figures and accounts of the operations are drawn from the military’s statement and could not be independently verified. No breakdown of the locations by individual death toll was provided, and no independent confirmation of the identities of those killed was available.
Sources & reporting notes
This is a summary of published reporting, not independent reporting. Quotations are as carried by the cited outlet. Sources reviewed on 2026-05-21.
- Pakistan Today — "Security forces kill 23 terrorists in sweeping KP IBOs over 48 hours: ISPR"21 May 2026 · Reports the ISPR statement, the operations in Datta Khel, Spinwam and Bannu, the killings including Jan Meer, and the reactions.
