North Waziristan operation yields 700kg explosives, missile

Security forces have recovered 700 kilogrammes of locally manufactured explosives, an Al-Farooq missile and other equipment during an extensive search and clearance operation in different areas of North Waziristan, security sources said on Tuesday.

The operation is continuing across several locations, where troops have searched 62 additional houses and compounds as part of efforts to eliminate terrorist infrastructure and locate suspected militants.

According to security sources, searches were completed at 17 compounds between Api village and Haider Khel, 28 in Maski and another 17 in different areas. Security personnel also cleared 14 targeted locations in Hassu Khel.

During searches in Mosaki, troops recovered around 700 kilogrammes of locally manufactured explosives. An Al-Farooq missile, 200 kilogrammes of urea and other equipment were seized during a separate operation in Hassu Khel.

The sources said clearance activities would continue until all suspected terrorist hideouts and locations potentially used by militants had been identified and cleared.

The latest recovery comes a day after security forces dismantled two suspected terrorist hideouts in Muzak village, located on the southern outskirts of Mir Ali in North Waziristan.

The military’s media wing, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), said troops had recovered a substantial cache of improvised explosive devices (IEDs), explosives, weapons and ammunition from the hideouts, which were allegedly established inside mosques.

According to the ISPR, the facilities belonged to Fitna al-Khawarij, the state’s designation for the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). The military said the locations had been used for storing explosives and operating torture cells.

Pakistan continues to face an escalating security challenge, with militant attacks increasing significantly in recent years. Data compiled by the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data (ACLED), an international conflict-monitoring organisation, showed that attacks across the country reached 2,425 in 2025, compared with 658 in 2022.

The security situation has remained particularly concerning in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Two reports presented to the federal cabinet in October indicated that terrorist incidents in the province had increased by 195 per cent between March 2024 and September 2026.

The reports further revealed that police and security personnel were the targets of 73 per cent of attacks recorded in the province during 2026. They also highlighted the growing use of drones and improvised explosive devices by militant groups.

Islamabad has repeatedly accused Afghanistan’s Taliban authorities of allowing the TTP to use Afghan territory as a base for launching attacks inside Pakistan.

A United Nations Security Council monitoring report released in February 2026 also highlighted the growing threat, stating that TTP attacks originating from Afghanistan had increased and that the group was enjoying greater freedom and support from Afghanistan’s de facto authorities.