At least 12 Pakistani soldiers were killed and four others injured in an attack by the Tehrik-e Taliban Pakistan (TTP) militant group in the Bar area of South Waziristan on September 13, according to the Pakistani military.
The Pakistani military stated that its troops were conducting operations against militants when they came under a counterattack.
The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the Pakistan Army's public affairs wing, confirmed the incident in a statement but said it had killed 13 militants during the operation. A senior police officer in the area, speaking anonymously to Radio Mashaal due to restrictions on talking to the media, corroborated the attack on a military vehicle in the Badar Faqir Sarai area.
The TTP, also known as the Pakistani Taliban, claimed responsibility for the attack, with spokesman Muhammad Khurasani saying 30 soldiers were killed.
Radio Mashaal could not independently verify these claims.
Pakistani Taliban is a distinct group from the Afghan Taliban, though they maintain a close alliance. Since the Afghan Taliban took control of Kabul in 2021, the TTP has grown more confident, with many of its leaders and fighters gaining sanctuary across the border in Afghanistan.
Islamabad accuses the Afghan Taliban government of providing shelter to the Pakistani Taliban, with backing from India -- an allegation that has heightened tensions with both Kabul and New Delhi, which deny the claims.
This attack follows a similar assault on September 12 in Lower Dir, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, where militants killed seven Frontier Corps soldiers and injured 13 others, according to local police and an intelligence official.
Security operations against militants have intensified in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa recently, with frequent militant attacks targeting Pakistan's army and paramilitary forces. On September 11, the Pakistan Army announced it had killed 19 militants during operations across the Momand, North Waziristan, and Bannu districts.
(RFE/RL/NS)
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