At least eight soldiers and a civilian lost their lives in separate attacks near Pakistan’s Afghan border on Friday, according to police officials cited by AFP. The incidents occurred amid a rise in violence across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan in recent months. A police source told AFP that seven soldiers were killed during a security operation against armed Taliban fighters in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.

Militants hiding inside a house opened fire on security forces, prompting the Pakistani military to deploy combat helicopters in an intense battle that lasted for hours. As a result, eight Taliban fighters were killed, while six soldiers sustained injuries.

In Balochistan, a bomb planted on a motorbike by separatist militants exploded as a military vehicle passed by in Gwadar district. The blast killed a soldier and a civilian, while three other soldiers and another civilian were injured, according to police officer Mohsin Ali. The region has witnessed a surge in attacks, including a recent hostage crisis on a train that claimed the lives of dozens of off-duty soldiers. Since the beginning of the year, over 190 people, mostly soldiers, have been killed in attacks by armed groups in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, as per an AFP report.

In mid-March, the Pakistani Taliban launched a "spring campaign" targeting security forces following a deadly year that saw over 1,600 people killed in attacks, nearly half of them security personnel, according to Islamabad's Center for Research and Security Studies. Most of the violence continues to be concentrated in Pakistan's border regions with Afghanistan.

Balochistan, the country's largest but least populated province, has long been a centre of insurgent activity and terrorist attacks. Despite its wealth of natural resources, the ethnic Baloch population has voiced longstanding grievances over economic marginalisation and political exclusion.

The ongoing unrest in Balochistan has given rise to a long-running insurgency, with groups like the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) demanding greater autonomy or even independence for the province.

In a powerful escalation, BLA militants hijacked the Jaffar Express, a passenger train travelling from Quetta to Peshawar. They blew up sections of the railway track before taking control of the train and holding hundreds of passengers hostage.

Pakistani authorities stated that security forces launched an operation, resulting in the deaths of 21 passengers and all 50 militants. This attack highlights the growing boldness and operational strength of insurgent groups in the region.