Pakistan’s military said Monday its forces killed 31 militants in overnight raids on two hideouts in the country’s northwest.

The operations were carried out in Bannu and Laki Marwat districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, which borders Afghanistan. A military statement described the slain fighters as “Khwarij,” a term used for Pakistani Taliban militants, but gave no further details.

The raids followed a string of operations last week in which security forces reported killing 45 militants, though 19 soldiers also lost their lives in the clashes.

Meanwhile, the Pakistani Taliban, known as Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), offered to open direct talks with the government to address what it called the “root causes” of two decades of conflict. The group said it was ready to meet with state representatives inside Pakistan if provided with strong guarantees. The government has not yet responded.

Pakistan and the TTP last held talks in 2022 in Kabul, resulting in a temporary ceasefire that later collapsed.

The TTP, which is separate from but allied with Afghanistan’s Taliban, has stepped up attacks in Pakistan in recent years. Many of its leaders and fighters are believed to operate from sanctuaries across the Afghan border.

Pakistani officials have also accused India of backing the TTP and separatists in Baluchistan, an allegation denied by New Delhi.