Overview
- Security forces killed 22 suspected militants during an intelligence-based raid in Khyber district on April 21, according to the military’s media wing.
- The military said the fighters belonged to Fitna al-Khawarij, a state term for the banned TTP, and described them as India-sponsored.
- A 10-year-old child was killed during the exchange of fire, which the army attributed to indiscriminate shooting by the militants.
- Weapons and ammunition were recovered from the scene, and troops have cordoned the area as clearance operations continue to search for any remaining fighters.
- President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif praised the forces and expressed grief over the child’s death, as officials tie the operation to a broader push against rising militancy along the Afghanistan border since 2021.