PESHAWAR, Pakistan (AP) — Pakistani security forces killed seven militants in a remote northwestern border area on Wednesday when they tried to sneak into the country from Afghanistan, the military said.

The military’s statement said the insurgents had been detected near Ghulam Khan, a border town in northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.

The statement said Pakistan has long urged Afghanistan to ensure effective border management. Pakistan often accuses Kabul of turning a blind eye to militants operating near the frontier, which the Afghan authorities deny.

Pakistan has witnessed a surge in violence, mostly blamed on the Pakistani Taliban, known as Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan. It is a separate group but allied with the Afghan Taliban, who seized power in Afghanistan in August 2021.

Many TTP leaders and fighters have found sanctuary in Afghanistan since then.