Pakistan’s security forces have launched raids in the northwest, a former stronghold of the Pakistani Taliban. These operations resulted in intense shootouts, leading to the deaths of seven soldiers and 23 militants, according to the Pakistan Army on Monday. The first exchange of fire took place overnight on the outskirts of Peshawar, the capital of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. It resulted in the killing of six militants and two army officers, who were described as having “embraced martyrdom” in a statement by Pakistan’s military. The statement said the deaths were in addition to two other soldiers, including an officer, who were killed the previous day in an operation against the militants on the outskirts of the northwestern city of Peshawar. The five soldiers were killed in Khyber district, it said.
On Sunday, Pakistan said it had arrested 11 Islamist militants who were involved in a suicide bombing that killed five Chinese engineers, alleging the attack was planned by the TTP on Afghan soil, a charge Kabul has previously denied.
The lawless tribal regions along the Afghan border have long been a safe haven for the Islamist and sectarian militants who operate under an umbrella group called Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). The Pakistani Taliban, also known as Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan or TTP, is a separate group but is allied with the Afghan Taliban.
The TTP aims to overthrow the government and replace it with a harsh brand of Islamic law. Islamabad says TTP leaders have taken refuge in neighbouring Afghanistan, where they run camps to train Islamist militants to launch attacks inside Pakistan. Kabul has previously said rising violence in Pakistan is a domestic issue for Islamabad. Relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan have soured in recent months. Islamabad says Kabul is not doing enough to tackle militant groups targeting Pakistan.
The Afghan Taliban seized power in Afghanistan in 2021 as the U.S. and NATO troops were in the final stages of their pullout. Since then, many TTP leaders and fighters have found sanctuary in Afghanistan.
Team BharatShakti (with Reuters inputs)
