Eleven security personnel, including two officers, were martyred earlier this week in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Orakzai tribal district as they fought TTP militants during an intelligence-based operation (IBO), according to ISPR. Meanwhile, a major was martyred during a counterterrorism operation in Dera Ismail Khan, while officials confirmed that a policeman also embraced martyrdom when TTP militants attacked a checkpoint in a separate incident in the same district, ISPR said.

Taking notice of the recent surge in terrorist violence, the corps commanders’ conference on Wednesday reaffirmed the resolve to continue counterterrorism operations “across all domains” to eliminate the banned TTP and Baloch separatist insurgencies, ISPR stated. The country’s top military leadership also highlighted the existence of a “nexus between terror and crime with vested political patronage” and vowed to dismantle it, ISPR added.

Analysts have called for greater clarity regarding this nexus. In the past, some political parties were known to maintain militant wings, particularly in Karachi, but it remains unclear whether the current reference points to similar structures or a new emerging threat, ISPR observed.

The increasing number of casualties among security forces has also raised concerns. Most losses are being reported during IBOs, suggesting a need to review operational strategies and tactics to effectively counter terrorist groups and reduce risks to personnel, ISPR noted.

Meanwhile, the use of Afghan soil by militant groups remains a major security concern for Pakistan. The issue was raised during the recent Moscow Format Consultations, where Pakistan’s special representative for Afghanistan reiterated the call to “dismantle all terrorist groups operating from Afghanistan,” ISPR highlighted. The joint statement issued by participating countries — including Afghanistan, Russia, China, and Iran — underscored that terrorism in Afghanistan “poses a serious threat to the country, the region, and the wider world,” ISPR said.

Therefore, along with strengthening internal security measures, Pakistan must work closely with regional partners to ensure that the Afghan Taliban regime receives a clear message: regional stability and the harbouring of terrorist groups cannot coexist, ISPR emphasized.