Security forces in Pakistan’s Balochistan province killed dozens of Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) militants in a major operation near the Pak-Afghan border earlier this month, with the bodies of 50 fighters recently transferred to Afghanistan, officials and sources said.

The operation began on 8 August in the Zhob district of Balochistan, following reports of TTP infiltration attempts from across the border. Initial reports indicated that Pakistani security forces targeted a militant “Tashkil” in the area, killing 20–25 fighters, though details were limited at the time.

By 9 August, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) confirmed the operation, stating that 33 militants had been killed, noting the operation had been launched in response to intelligence on TTP-affiliated militants attempting to cross into Pakistan. Later updates reported that 47 bodies were recovered from Sambaza in Zhob following a thorough sanitization operation by security forces.

Nationality of the Dead 

In the weeks after the operation, developments emerged regarding the nationalities of those killed. On 22 August, sources reported that the Afghan administration would transfer the bodies of 50 militants killed in the operation to other Afghan provinces, for handover to their families. According to Afghan sources, around 90% of the deceased were Afghan citizens affiliated with the Hafiz Gul Bahadur faction of the TTP, which had crossed into Pakistan to launch attacks against security forces.

The following day, 23 August, sources in Paktika province confirmed to Mahaz that a total of 57 dead bodies of militants had been received at the central hospital in Sharan. They were escorted by Taliban fighters in military vehicles, with plans for the bodies to be returned to families in various provinces, including Maidan Wardak, Ghazni, Paktiya, and Khost.

Afghanistan International reported that images of ambulances carrying the bodies showed the Taliban’s involvement in transferring the fighters. The Hafiz Gul Bahadur (HGB) group, long regarded as a military wing of the TTP, has conducted multiple deadly attacks against Pakistani forces and remains one of the most active anti-Pakistan factions.

Pakistan has repeatedly accused the Taliban of providing sanctuary to groups such as the TTP, though Afghan officials deny that Afghan soil is being used for cross-border attacks. At the United Nations Security Council earlier this month, Pakistan’s envoy, Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, warned that TTP fighters based in Afghanistan, estimated at around 6,000, pose an immediate threat to Pakistan’s national security. UN experts have echoed these concerns, highlighting the permissive environment Afghan authorities provide for foreign terrorist groups, which threatens regional stability.

The transfer of bodies follows a high-level meeting between Pakistani military officials and Afghan border authorities in Balochistan, alongside local notables, reflecting the sensitive nature of cross-border security coordination.

Jirga Held to Coordinate Return of Bodies

A jirga of 15 people, including three Afghan notables, was held with Pakistani officials in Balochistan province. Afghan authorities, with the support of a local jirga, requested the return of bodies of Afghan nationals killed in operations in Pakistan, particularly those killed in Sambaza, Zhob district.

Three Pakistani sources present at the jirga confirmed that 53 bodies were handed over from Afghanistan. A source familiar with the proceedings said the jirga took place in the village of Hisar Kalay. A list of bodies handed over shows that most were from districts of eastern and southern Afghanistan, according to local sources and officials.

Funerals and Social Media Tributes

Following their return, the bodies of TTP’s Afghan fighters were buried in Afghan provinces including Paktika, Logar, and Wardak. Notably, Mohammad Abid and Merajuddin, two Afghan fighters killed by Pakistani forces in Zhob, were laid to rest in Logar province.

Afghan Taliban supporters on social media paid tribute to the TTP’s Afghan fighters, posting messages honoring those killed in Pakistan’s Balochistan operations. These posts highlighted the group’s continued presence and influence among some Afghan social media circles, underlining the cross-border sensitivities surrounding the TTP’s activities.