Afghanistan Times
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KABUL – A series of predawn clashes near Pakistan’s northwestern border with Afghanistan claimed the lives of at least six security personnel and 22 militants on Saturday, according to military sources.
The violence erupted during a multi-pronged militant assault on a security post in Thall, Hangu district, and subsequent intelligence-driven counterinsurgency operations across several districts, including Tank and North Waziristan, the military’s media wing reported.
The slain militants were identified as members of the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), a globally recognized terrorist organization. The TTP later claimed responsibility for the Thall attack but remained silent on casualties suffered during the military’s retaliatory raids.
Security officials stated that heavily armed TTP fighters targeted the paramilitary post, leading to fierce gun battles that left six troops dead and several others injured.
The deadly incident is part of a broader surge in violence attributed to TTP-led insurgents in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and separatist Baloch insurgents in southwestern Balochistan, which have claimed hundreds of lives this year alone, including many from security forces.
Pakistan has repeatedly accused the Afghan Taliban government of providing sanctuary to TTP leaders and fighters orchestrating cross-border terrorism. Kabul has rejected these allegations, insisting that Afghan territory is not being used to threaten neighboring countries.
These incidents highlight growing security challenges for Pakistan as militant violence intensifies in border regions.
