Pakistani troops claim to have killed 33 terrorists on the Afghan border

The Pakistani military said it had killed 33 terrorists trying to enter the southwestern province of Balochistan from neighboring Afghanistan. The country’s military described them as “India-sponsored” separatists. In a statement on Friday (August 8), the Pakistani military said troops had identified “Khawarij” (the official term for Pakistani Taliban fighters) during a night operation in Balochistan’s Zhob district. The statement said the fighters were stopped with “precise” fire and arms, ammunition and explosives were recovered from them. Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif thanked the security forces for the operation, describing it as a success. “Our brave soldiers risked their lives to thwart this infiltration attempt and foiled the terrorists’ evil plot,” the prime minister said, quoting the Pakistan Associated Press. Separatist fighters demanding a bigger share of the profits from the mineral-rich Balochistan have stepped up attacks in recent months, particularly against the Pakistani military. The military has been conducting intelligence-based operations in response. Pakistan often accuses the Afghan Taliban government of being indifferent to militants operating along the border between the two countries. Kabul has denied the allegations. The Pakistani military claimed on Friday (August 8) that the victims were receiving support from India, although it did not provide any evidence to support the allegation. Pakistan and India often accuse each other of supporting armed groups. India denies the accusations of supporting militants in Pakistan and has not commented on the latest incident. The nuclear-armed neighbors have a long history of conflict. The shelling from both sides along the Line of Control (LoC) has continued since an attack in Pahalgam, Indian-administered Kashmir, in April killed 26 civilians.