At least six members of the Armed Forces of Pakistan, including two officers, have lost their lives in a confrontation with alleged fighters of Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), known as the Pakistani Taliban. The incident was recorded in the province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, in the north of the country and near the border with Afghanistan, according to the Pakistani Army itself.
In a statement released on social media, military authorities detail that the armed clash occurred on Sunday in the city of Hangu and that, in addition to the deceased soldiers, eight suspects died during the operation.
"Cleaning operations remain active in the area to eliminate any other India-backed extremist located in the area," the Army has emphasized, while the TTP has not yet issued any official reaction to what happened.
Meanwhile, the authorities established by the Taliban in Afghanistan have reported overnight bombings by Pakistan against areas in the east of the country. Islamabad has not commented on these attacks nor has it been clarified whether they are related to the recent episodes of violence in the border strip.
On another front, Pakistani security forces have killed four alleged members of the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), a separatist group, in an operation carried out in the town of Panjgur, in the western province of Balochistan, according to security sources cited by Geo TV.
The BLA, active in Balochistan, has carried out numerous attacks in recent years to demand greater autonomy for this region, one of the most impoverished in the country. Pakistani authorities repeatedly accuse India of supporting this organization with the aim of destabilizing Pakistan.
The border strip with Afghanistan has been dragging a situation of strong instability for years, marked especially by attacks from the Pakistani Taliban. Islamabad maintains constant accusations against India and against the Afghan Taliban for their alleged support of the TTP, something that both New Delhi and Kabul have repeatedly denied.