by Stefan J. Bos, Worthy News Europe Bureau Chief
ISLAMABAD/RAWALPINDI (Worthy News) – Pakistani security forces killed 38 Islamist militants in a series of intelligence-led raids near the Afghan border, the military confirmed Tuesday, adding to concerns among minority Christians and refugees in Pakistan’s volatile northwest.
Troops launched the first operation on Sunday in the district of Dera Ismail Khan in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, where 10 Pakistani Taliban (TTP) fighters were killed. A second raid in North Waziristan, a mountainous tribal district long considered a stronghold of the TTP and other insurgent groups, eliminated five more militants, including a commander, officials said.
On Monday, security forces also carried out twin raids in the northwestern districts of Bajaur — a rugged border region long infiltrated by militants — and Bannu, a nearby district hosting significant displaced and refugee populations. These operations killed 23 additional TTP fighters, according to the military.
Authorities described the slain fighters as “Khawarij,” a term used for militants Pakistan alleges are backed by Afghanistan and India, including those linked to the banned Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan — accusations both Kabul and New Delhi deny.
REGIONAL TENSIONS
The Pakistani Taliban (TTP) is a separate but allied group to the Afghan Taliban, who seized power in Kabul in 2021. Many TTP leaders are believed to operate from sanctuaries inside Afghanistan, contributing to strained relations between Islamabad and Kabul.
The latest raids highlight Pakistan’s ongoing struggle to contain insurgent networks in its northwest, where cross-border militant movement continues to complicate security efforts, Worthy News established.
The combination of militant activity, ongoing military operations, and the uncertain status of refugees there continues to place a significant humanitarian strain on the troubled region.
Large-scale security offensives in the northwest frequently trigger internal displacement. In the Bajaur district, previous military campaigns have forced tens of thousands of residents from their homes as troops targeted militant hide-outs.
AFGHAN REFUGEES
The wider Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province also hosts more than half of Pakistan’s Afghan refugee population, with over one million Afghans living there, according to the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR).
Yet refugee camps in several districts — including Dera Ismail Khan and Bannu, both impacted by the latest operations — have been de-notified or shut down by the government this year, raising concerns among aid groups about the fate of displaced Afghan families.
No immediate reports indicated that religious or faith minorities — including Christians — were targeted or affected in these latest operations.
However, rights groups warn that Christian and other minority communities remain vulnerable amid Pakistan’s broader militant violence and are often caught in the crossfire of insurgent and counterinsurgency activity.
Copyright 1999-2026 Worthy News. This article was originally published on Worthy News and was reproduced with permission.
Latest News from Worthy News
Archaeologists excavating biblical Shiloh say new discoveries may strengthen the case that they have uncovered ruins connected to the ancient Israelite Tabernacle — the sacred worship center where Scripture says the Ark of the Covenant once rested.
Russian drone developers and operators are openly framing their next major gathering around preparation for a possible war with NATO, raising fresh concerns across Europe as the Kremlin continues to deny any intention of attacking the alliance.
President Donald Trump announced that the Republican Party will hold its first-ever national midterm convention this September in Dallas, an unprecedented political gathering designed to energize conservatives, showcase the administration’s record, and build momentum before the 2026 congressional elections.
A new red heifer born in Israel’s Galilee region has reignited calls among Temple-focused rabbis, educators, and activists for a broader national movement to prepare the Jewish people for the restoration of Temple service in Jerusalem.
Ukraine’s war against Russia is entering a sharper and more economically painful phase, as Kyiv’s long-range drone campaign continues to hammer Russian oil infrastructure, triggering fuel shortages across parts of the country and placing growing political pressure on President Vladimir Putin.
A California judge has sentenced Loay Abdel Fattah Alnaji to one year in Ventura County Jail and two years of felony probation for the death of Paul Kessler, a 69-year-old Jewish-American man who died after a confrontation during dueling pro-Israel and pro-Palestinian demonstrations in Thousand Oaks in November 2023.
A Muslim mob attacked a Christian prayer house in the Hegarmanah Indah Housing Complex in West Java on June 24, demanding that the gathering place be closed and threatening to burn it down, according to local Christian accounts.