Militants kill at least 6 Pakistan soldiers near Afghan border  

Islamabad — 

Militant attacks against Pakistani information outposts successful a northwestern borderline portion Friday reportedly resulted successful the deaths of astatine slightest six soldiers and injuries to 14 others, portion 7 assailants were killed successful instrumentality fire.

The predawn clashes occurred successful abstracted parts of the militancy-hit South Waziristan territory adjacent the borderline with Afghanistan. The wounded see astatine slightest 4 soldiers who were described arsenic “seriously injured.”

Multiple section information officials confirmed the casualties to VOA connected information of anonymity due to the fact that they were not authorized to talk to the media.

VOA contacted the Pakistani military’s media helping for comments connected the reported attacks but did not person an contiguous response.

Militants affiliated with the outlawed Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan, oregon TTP, are reported to person claimed work for the deadly violence.

The TTP routinely carries retired and claims recognition for staging attacks connected information forces and authorities installations successful South Waziristan and surrounding districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, which borders Afghanistan.

Officials person reported the deaths of hundreds of soldiers, constabulary personnel, and civilians successful the TTP-led unit successful the state and elsewhere successful Pakistan this twelvemonth alone. The latest study from the provincial counterterrorism section documented the deaths of astatine slightest 100 constabulary unit and an adjacent fig of civilians successful the archetypal 9 months of 2024, with hundreds much sustaining injuries.

The Pakistani authorities maintains the TTP, designated arsenic a planetary violent enactment by the United Nations, is orchestrating attacks from its Afghan sanctuaries with the assistance of the neighboring country’s extremist Taliban leaders.

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mumtaz Baloch reiterated Islamabad’s concerns astatine her play quality league connected Thursday.

“We person shared factual grounds of the engagement of these entities successful panic attacks successful Pakistan, and we expect the Afghan authorities to instrumentality enactment against those individuals who are liable for these panic attacks,” Baloch said.

“The Afghan authorities are afloat alert of who these individuals are. They cognize the determination of these individuals and entities wrong Afghanistan. It is, therefore, their work to guarantee that their territory is not utilized to foment coercion against Pakistan,” she added.

The Taliban government, which is not officially recognized by immoderate country, denies allegations that the TTP oregon immoderate different overseas groups run oregon are being allowed to endanger neighboring countries from Afghan soil.

However, caller U.N. information assessments person contradicted Taliban claims, describing the TTP arsenic “the largest violent group” successful Afghanistan, with a unit of astir 6,000 members being trained and equipped astatine al-Qaida-run camps successful the country.

The summation successful TTP cross-border attacks since the Taliban regained powerfulness successful Kabul 3 years agone has strained relations betwixt the 2 countries. The tensions person resulted successful a important diminution successful bilateral and transit commercialized betwixt Pakistan and landlocked Afghanistan.