ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s security forces have killed 25 militants and injured 11 others in a series of intelligence-based operations (IBOs) in the northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province that have lasted for about a week, an official statement announced on Tuesday.
Pakistan’s restive northwest has experienced a surge in militant attacks since November 2022, when a fragile ceasefire between the government and the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) broke down.
The military’s media wing, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), issued the statement about the encounters with militants just a day after the country saw another wave of separatist violence in southwestern Balochistan, where a series of coordinated attacks claimed over 50 lives within hours.
The government has vowed to take action against armed groups targeting civilians and security forces, with the military continuing its operations to maintain security in the two western provinces.
“Security Forces are conducting extensive Intelligence Based Operations (IBOs) in Tirah, Khyber District against … so called Laskar-e-Islam and Jamaat-ul-Ahrar [groups],” the ISPR informed.
“During these daring and highly successful IBOs being conducted since 20 August 2024, Security Forces have so far successfully neutralized twenty-five Khwarij [militants], including … ring leader Abuzar [alias] Saddam,” it continued, adding that 11 militants had also been injured.
The ISPR also mentioned that four Pakistani soldiers also lost their lives in these encounters with the militants.
It added the heavy losses inflicted on militants reflected the valor and commitment of the security forces to eliminate the militant violence from the country.
Security forces kill 25 militants in week-long operations in northwestern Pakistan
https://arab.news/gtq5g
Security forces kill 25 militants in week-long operations in northwestern Pakistan
- The intelligence-based operations were launched in Khyber district on August 20
- Security forces lost four soldiers during the encounters with militants in the area
Pakistani stocks breach 176,000 points barrier as investors expect further rate cuts
- Pakistani financial analyst attributes surge to falling inflation, investors expecting further policy rate cuts
- Pakistan’s finance ministry said Thursday that inflation had slowed to 5.6 percent year-on-year in December
KARACHI: Pakistani stocks continued their bullish run on Thursday, breaching the 176,000 points barrier for the first time after trading ended, with analysts attributing the surge to investors expecting further cuts in the policy rate.
The KSE-100 benchmark gained 2,301.17 points at close of business on Thursday, marking an increase of 1.32 percent to settle at 176,355.49 points.
Pakistan’s central bank cut its key policy rate by 50 basis points to 10.5 percent last month, breaking a four-meeting hold in a move that surprised markets. Pakistan’s consumer price inflation slowed to 5.6 percent year-on-year in December, while prices fell on a monthly basis as per data from the finance ministry.
“Upbeat data for consumer price index (CPI) inflation at 5.6pc in December 2025 [with] investors expecting a further State Bank of Pakistan rate cuts on falling inflation data,” Ahsan Mehanti, CEO of Arif Habib Commodities Ltd., told Arab News.
The stock market witnessed a trading volume of 1,402.650 million shares, with a traded value of Rs48.424 billion ($173 million), compared with 957.239 million shares valued at Rs44.231 billion ($158 million) during the previous session.
Topline Securities, a leading brokerage firm in Pakistan, credited the surge to strong buying at the first session.
“This positivity can be accredited to buying by local institutions on the start of the new calendar year,” it said.
Pakistan’s Finance Adviser Khurram Schehzad highlighted that the bullish trend at the stock market reflected “strong investor confidence.”
“With lower inflation, affordable fuel, stronger reserves, rising digitization and a buoyant capital market, Pakistan’s economic outlook is clearly improving--supporting greater confidence, better investment sentiment and more positive momentum for 2026,” he said on social media platform X.
