Overview
- Security forces said they killed three militants in an intelligence‑based operation in Dera Ismail Khan on Monday and killed five militants with two wounded in a North Waziristan operation on Tuesday.
- Unidentified gunmen opened fire in Dera Ismail Khan on Tuesday, killing four Federal Board of Revenue officials and a highway‑patrol driver and wounding other officers.
- State leaders praised the operations and vowed to continue actions under the Azm‑e‑Istehkam campaign to eliminate the group the government calls 'Fitna al‑Khawarij.'
- Independent data show the violence has risen sharply, with the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies recording 225 militant attacks in September, the highest monthly total in 12 years.
- Authorities blame cross‑border militant sanctuaries and sometimes allege outside backing, a stance that is raising diplomatic pressure on talks with Afghan authorities and has produced local disruptions such as a three‑day mobile ban and postponed exams.