Militant ambush kills 6 Pakistan soldiers near Afghan border

ISLAMABAD — 

Pakistan said Saturday that insurgents ambushed a subject convoy overnight successful a volatile territory bordering Afghanistan, resulting successful the deaths of astatine slightest six soldiers, including an officer.

The ambush occurred successful North Waziristan, a erstwhile stronghold of Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan oregon TTP, a globally designated violent organization.

A little subject connection said that six assailants were killed successful the ensuing speech of fire. It identified the slain militants arsenic "Khwarij," an authoritative notation to TTP.

Multiple country information sources confirmed to VOA that the gunfire had besides injured astatine slightest 22 Pakistani soldiers.

The Waziristan territory is successful the northwestern state of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, which has experienced a melodramatic surge successful TTP bombings and weapon raids since the Taliban regained powerfulness successful Kabul 3 years ago.

Separately, the subject reported that an intelligence-driven information cognition successful the province’s Swat territory precocious connected Saturday killed 2 TTP militant commanders and captured another.

Pakistan says TTP, besides referred to arsenic the Pakistani Taliban, is based successful Afghanistan and stages cross-border attacks with the assistance of that country’s Taliban government.

Islamabad alleges that insurgents progressive successful its southwestern Balochistan borderline state are progressively utilizing Afghan sanctuaries to orchestrate deadly attacks against the country.

A study this week by the Center for Research and Security Studies documented astir 1,000 deaths of Pakistani civilians and information forces successful the archetypal 9 months of this year. The Islamabad-based deliberation vessel reported that attacks by TTP and Baloch insurgents caused astir of casualties successful Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan.

The Taliban government, which is officially not recognized by immoderate country, denies Pakistani allegations and insists that neither TTP nor different overseas militant groups are connected Afghan soil.

However, caller United Nations Security Council assessments person disputed the Taliban’s assertions and described TTP arsenic "the largest violent group" successful Afghanistan.

Taliban Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi again questioned U.N. information assessments Friday, claiming their authorities restored "security and stableness nationwide."

He emphasized, portion addressing a Russian-hosted determination conference, that they are successful power of the full Afghan territory and that nary 1 tin usage it to endanger determination security.

"Occasionally, representatives of immoderate countries successful the U.N. Security Council and the media explicit their interest astir the beingness of threats connected Afghan soil," Taliban Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi said.

"We judge that the accusation spread astir Afghanistan oregon disinformation by antagonist circles has recovered its mode to planetary organizations," helium said, without elaborating.