The Pakistani Taliban (TTP) claimed responsibility for a deadly overnight raid on an army outpost near the Afghan border on Saturday. Intelligence officials reported that 16 soldiers were killed and five critically wounded in the attack, which lasted for approximately two hours.
Around 30 militants launched a coordinated assault on the outpost in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. The TTP claimed to have seized military equipment and carried out the attack in retaliation for the deaths of their commanders.
This attack, described as the most dangerous in the region this year, comes amidst a resurgence of militant violence in Pakistan’s western border areas since the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan in 2021.
Pakistan accuses the Afghan Taliban of failing to address the presence of TTP militants operating from Afghan territory. While the Afghan Taliban have pledged to prevent foreign militant groups from operating within their borders, a UN report suggests significant TTP presence and potential support from the Afghan regime.
The escalating violence has strained relations between Islamabad and Kabul and led to a significant increase in security concerns for Pakistan.
Source: AFP December 21,2024