Pakistani security forces killed 24 alleged militants during separate operations in North Waziristan and Balochistan, the military said. Four soldiers also died in the fighting.
In North Waziristan, personnel carried out operations in Mir Ali and Datta Khel. Sixteen individuals described as terrorists died in the clashes, including two Afghan nationals.
The military stated that the dead belonged to Fitna al-Khawarij, a group it asserted was backed by India. Weapons and ammunition were recovered from Ali Khel, Mir Ali, and Datta Khel.
Two soldiers lost their lives in North Waziristan. They were identified as 43-year-old Havildar Asmat Ali from Swabi district and 32-year-old Naik Aftab Ali from Mardan district.
Separately, in Kolpur, Balochistan, security forces ran an overnight operation from Friday into Saturday. Eight alleged terrorists, including a suicide bomber, were killed in the raid and a large cache of weapons was recovered.
On Saturday, militants from a group called Fitna al-Hindustan attacked military patrol vehicles with armed quadcopters. The drone attack killed Major Omer Minhas Nasir from Chakwal district and Havildar Muhammad Adnan Khan from Kotli Sattian.
The Inter-Services Public Relations accused India and hostile intelligence agencies of financially supporting Fitna al-Hindustan. The military alleged these agencies supplied advanced equipment, including drones, to target civilians and security personnel.
The armed forces stated that clearance operations would continue under the Azm-e-Istehkam counterterrorism campaign. The Federal Apex Committee approved the campaign under the National Action Plan, and it will persist until all threats are eliminated.
