Pakistan’s military has killed 30 Pakistan Taliban militants in a cross-border clash near Afghanistan following a deadly suicide bombing, amid rising tensions and renewed accusations against India for backing insurgency.

Pakistan’s military has announced the killing of 30 militants linked to the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and its affiliated groups in a large-scale operation aimed at thwarting a cross-border infiltration attempt from neighbouring Afghanistan. The operation, conducted over the past three days in North Waziristan, near the volatile border with Afghanistan, comes in the wake of a devastating suicide bombing that killed 16 Pakistani soldiers in the same region.

In a statement released on Friday, the army said that troops acted swiftly to neutralise what they described as a “major infiltration attempt,” seizing a large cache of weapons, ammunition, and explosives in the process. The military hailed the operation as a successful pre-emptive strike that “prevented a potential catastrophe.”

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif commended the armed forces for their swift and decisive action, praising their “unwavering dedication to protecting the country from terrorism.” He reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to eradicating terrorism in all its forms and once again accused India of supporting insurgent groups operating within Pakistan’s borders—an allegation New Delhi has repeatedly denied.

The TTP, a banned Islamist militant organisation, claimed responsibility for the recent suicide attack, which targeted security forces in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. Although distinct from the Afghan Taliban, the group shares ideological ties and has reportedly grown more active and emboldened since the Taliban returned to power in Kabul in 2021.

Border violence has intensified in recent months, with Pakistan’s security establishment expressing increasing concern over the Taliban regime’s failure to prevent militant groups from using Afghan soil as a staging ground for attacks. Islamabad has also enacted a controversial conscription law and expanded its counter-terrorism operations in tribal regions along the border.

The latest clash underscores the deteriorating security landscape in Pakistan’s northwestern provinces, where thousands have been displaced due to ongoing military operations and militant violence. Observers warn that unless cross-border militant sanctuaries are addressed through coordinated regional security frameworks, Pakistan may face a prolonged insurgency that further destabilises the region..