Pakistan’s military said on Friday that security forces killed 22 alleged militants during clashes in the country’s northwest earlier this week, while a 10-year-old child also died in the exchange of fire near the Afghan border.According to a statement issued by the military’s media wing, "a joint military operation was conducted by security forces and law enforcement agencies" on Tuesday in Khyber District, resulting in an "intense exchange of fire" in which the militants were killed.The operation took place in Khyber district, a region bordering Afghanistan that has long witnessed insurgent violence and cross-border tensions.Authorities said a 10-year-old child was killed during the firefight.Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif "expressed sorrow at the martyrdom of a 10-year-old child in the unprovoked firing by the terrorists", according to a statement from his office.Militant attacks in Pakistan have risen sharply in recent years, many of them claimed by Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), particularly in provinces bordering Afghanistan.Islamabad has repeatedly accused Afghanistan of providing safe haven to militants since the Taliban returned to power in 2021, an allegation Kabul has denied.

The accusations have strained ties between the neighbouring countries and contributed to frequent clashes along the border.Earlier this year, Pakistan’s military launched a series of strikes inside Afghanistan after a wave of deadly suicide bombings, with the country’s defence minister describing the campaign as "open war."