Pakistan’s security forces killed at least 30 militants during an intelligence-based operation in Orakzai district, launched after an earlier assault that left 11 soldiers dead. Among the fallen officers were Lieutenant Colonel Junaid Tariq and Major Tayyab Rahat. The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) reported that the militants belonged to “Fitna al-Khawarij,” a foreign-backed group. Another operation in Dera Ismail Khan killed seven more suspected militants, though commanding officer Major Sibtain Haider also died. Recent data from the Center for Research and Security Studies (CRSS) shows a 46 percent rise in violence across Pakistan in the third quarter of 2025, with over 900 deaths—mostly in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan. Analysts attribute the surge to renewed militant activity after the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan.