Global Courant
Pakistan army says security forces raided two militant hideouts in regions near Afghanistan border
PESHAWAR, Pakistan — The Pakistani military says security forces raided two militant hideouts in regions near the border with Afghanistan, sparking fierce firefights that killed six insurgents over the Eid holiday.
A military statement said the two raids were carried out early Friday in Tank and North Waziristan districts on credible intelligence of militants entering and hiding in the areas near the border with Afghanistan.
Security forces also seized weapons and ammunition from the hideout and conducted a clearance operation in the area, the army said late Friday.
The military did not provide further details on the identity or affiliation of the six dead, but the majority of militants belong to factions of Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, commonly known as the Pakistani Taliban.
TTP is a separate group, but allied to the Afghan Taliban, who seized power in the neighboring country in August 2021 as US and NATO forces were in the final stages of their withdrawal. The Taliban takeover of Afghanistan has emboldened the Pakistani Taliban, who have stepped up attacks on police and troops in recent months.
Footprints of the Islamic State terror group have also been found in the region. Earlier this week, security forces killed an IS commander identified as Shafi Ullah during an intelligence-led operation in Bajur district, another area in the northwestern province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa that borders Afghanistan. He was one of the militants killed on Wednesday.
The Pakistani military has in recent years conducted major operations in the tribal belt along the Afghan border, which for decades served as a safe haven for local and foreign militants. However, militants continue to carry out attacks in the region.
