Gunships Strike Militant Hideouts Near Afghan Border; 15 Killed as Operation Intensifies
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan — July 29, 2025: Pakistani military gunships pounded militant hideouts near the Afghan border in a sweeping counterterrorism operation that has left at least 15 militants dead, authorities confirmed on Monday, reported by Daily Times.
The ongoing offensive, unfolding across rugged terrain in the northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, has intensified in recent days, targeting suspected strongholds of the banned Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), also known locally as the Khawarij—a derogatory term referencing religious deviation.
“Gunship helicopters struck multiple hideouts in Kohat, Hangu, Orakzai, and Lower Kurram,” said Abbas Majeed Marwat, the Regional Police Officer overseeing the operation. “Fifteen terrorists have been neutralized, and many more have sustained injuries. Several militants were observed fleeing into dense mountain forests.”
The operation, which has now entered its tenth day, spans key flashpoints in Chapri, Kandao, Shanawari, Zargari, and Naryab. More than 200 army and police personnel are engaged in what officials describe as a “grand operation” aimed at dismantling entrenched militant networks along the Pakistan-Afghanistan frontier.
The offensive follows a deadly ambush last week in Orakzai district, where eight members of Pakistan’s Frontier Corps were killed and 11 injured after militants launched a coordinated attack on a convoy using heavy weapons. Four militants were also killed in the ensuing firefight, which lasted several hours, according to a senior security source cited by AFP.
Tensions remain high as Islamabad continues to accuse neighboring Afghanistan of providing sanctuary to militants, and India of backing anti-Pakistan insurgent groups—allegations both Kabul and New Delhi firmly deny.
Security analysts suggest the recent flare-up may signal a renewed push by Pakistani forces to reclaim control of border regions increasingly seen as staging grounds for cross-border militancy.
