RAWALPINDI: Pakistani security forces have uncovered two terrorist hideouts inside mosques in North Waziristan, recovering a large cache of explosives, weapons and ammunition during an operation targeting militants in the country's northwest, the military officials said on Monday, Nov. 9, 2026.
The operation was conducted Nov. 8 in Muzak village, on the southern outskirts of Mir Ali, where security forces identified and cleared two hideouts allegedly established by militants affiliated with Fitna Al Khwarij, which the military describes as an Indian-backed militant group.
According to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), troops recovered a significant quantity of prepared improvised explosive devices (IEDs), materials used to manufacture explosives, weapons and ammunition.
The military said the militants had deliberately used mosques to store explosive materials and had also established torture cells inside the places of worship.
In its statement, ISPR condemned the use of religious sites for militant activities, describing it as a violation of Islamic teachings.
It also accused the militants of exploiting religion to justify violence and said their actions had been rejected by the people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Pakistan.
Security forces are continuing clearance operations in the area to locate and eliminate any additional militant hideouts, according to the military.
The operation is part of Pakistan's ongoing counterterrorism campaign under the Azm-e-Istehkam initiative, approved by the Federal Apex Committee under the National Action Plan.
The military said security forces and law enforcement agencies would continue operations to eliminate foreign-sponsored terrorism across the country.
