6 soldiers killed in battle with Islamist militants – DW – October 5, 2024

Six Pakistani soldiers, including a senior officer, died in a clash with Islamist militants in North Waziristan district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province on Friday evening, according to the Pakistan military.

In a statement on X, formerly Twitter, the military said six of the militants were also killed.

Among the dead was Lt. Col. Muhammad Ali Shouka, who the military said led troops during the clash.

Troubled region near the Afghan border

The military did not mention the militants' affiliation.

However, the Pakistani Taliban, also known as Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan or TTP, previously used the region as a base before they and other foreign militants were driven out by the Pakistani army in several operations.

The TPP are closely allied with the Afghan Taliban, who now rule neighboring Afghanistan after coming to power in 2021 and, like them, aim to impose a strict regime of Islamic law.

The takeover in Afghanistan has emboldened the TTP, which has recently intensified its operations. Over the years, the group has killed around 80,000 Pakistanis.

Islamabad claims that TTP is now using nearby Afghanistan as a base and says the ruling Taliban government has provided protection to the group near the border, which the Afghan Taliban have denied.

In September, Munir Akram, Pakistan's permanent representative to the United Nations, warned the Security Council this week that the TTP could soon become the “spearhead of global terror targets” and align with groups such as al-Qaeda.

tj/rm (Reuters, dpa)