ISLAMABAD: Pakistani security forces have killed at least 74 militants since Nov. 3 in its western provinces of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and Balochistan, the military’s media wing said on Friday, vowing to eliminate “terrorism” from the country.

Pakistani security forces carried out separate counterterror operations in KP’s Mir Ali and Orakzai districts over the last 48 hours, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said in a statement. It added that 35 militants were killed in Mir Ali, while eight militants were killed in Orakzai during this period.

In a separate statement, the ISPR said security forces have carried out intelligence-based sanitization operations in the southwestern Quetta district against “Indian-backed” militants since Nov. 3. The military accuses the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and Baloch separatist outfits of being funded by India. New Delhi denies it backs these groups.

“Huge cache of weapons, ammunition and explosives including homemade explosives and improvised explosives devices were also recovered during sanitization operations,” the ISPR said about counterterror operations in both provinces.

The military said action against militants will continue to take place in both provinces.

“Pakistan will continue at full pace to wipe out the menace of foreign sponsored and supported terrorism from the country,” the ISPR added.

Pakistan is facing twin insurgencies in its northwestern KP and southwestern Balochistan provinces. Attacks in both areas, which border Afghanistan, have increased since 2021 when the Afghan Taliban seized power in Kabul.

Pakistan blames Afghanistan for sheltering TTP militants and facilitating their attacks on Pakistani law enforcers and civilians. Kabul denies the allegations and urges Pakistan to resolve its security challenges internally.

Surging militant attacks in Pakistan this year have triggered clashes between the border forces of both countries, resulting in closure of borders that has affected trade and travel between both sides.