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ISLAMABAD: Pakistani security forces have killed 47 “Indian-sponsored militants” belonging to the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) near the country’s border with Afghanistan in the restive Balochistan province, the Pakistani military said on Saturday.

Pakistani forces engaged and killed 33 militants while attempting to infiltrate the border in Sambaza area of Balochistan’s Zhob district on August 7-8, according to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the military’s media wing.

The military, following the successful engagements, conducted a sanitization operation on the night August 8-9 in surrounding areas of Sambaza along Pakistan-Afghanistan border and neutralized 14 more “Indian-sponsored khwarij [militants].”

In recent months, Islamabad has frequently accused India of backing militant groups and Afghanistan of allowing the use of its soil for attacks against Pakistan. Kabul and New Delhi deny the allegation.

“Weapons, ammunition and explosives were also recovered from the killed khwarij,” the ISPR said in a statement. “Security Forces remain committed to secure the nation’s frontiers and thwart attempts at sabotaging peace, stability and progress of Pakistan.”

Pakistan has witnessed a sharp rise in violence in its western regions bordering Afghanistan.

While the recent infiltration attempt took place in the volatile Balochistan province, the site of a long-running insurgency by Baloch separatists, the TTP has primarily carried out attacks in Pakistan’s northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa region, targeting security personnel, police and civilians.

On Friday, Balochistan’s Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti welcomed the operation, calling it a successful counter-infiltration move that “made the nation proud.”

“The people of Balochistan stand united against the enemies of peace,” he said. “Every obstacle to peace and prosperity in Balochistan will be eliminated.”

NEW DELHI: India shot down five Pakistani fighter jets and one other military aircraft during clashes in May, India’s air force chief said on Saturday, the first such statement by the country months after its worst military conflict in decades with its neighbor.

Most of the Pakistani aircraft were downed by India’s Russian-made S-400 surface-to-air missile system, Indian Air Chief Marshal A.P. Singh said at an event in the southern city of Bengaluru. He cited electronic tracking data as confirmation of the strikes.

“We have at least five fighters confirmed killed, and one large aircraft,” he said, adding that the large aircraft, which could be a surveillance plane, was shot down at a distance of 300 km (186 miles).

“This is actually the largest ever recorded surface-to-air kill,” he said, prompting applause from the crowd that included serving air force officers, veterans, and government and industry officials.

Pakistan’s military did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Singh did not mention the type of fighter jets that were downed.

Islamabad, whose air force primarily operates Chinese-made jets and US F-16s, has previously denied that India downed any Pakistani aircraft during the May 7-10 fighting between the nuclear-armed neighbors.

Pakistan has claimed that it shot down six Indian aircraft during the clashes, including a French-made Rafale fighter. India has acknowledged some losses but denied losing six aircraft.

France’s air chief, General Jerome Bellanger, has previously said that he has seen evidence of the loss of three Indian fighters, including a Rafale. Indian Air Force has not commented on the claims.