12 soldiers, 35 TTP militants killed in Pakistan army operations in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

At least 12 Pakistani soldiers and 35 TTP militants were killed in major clashes during military operations in Bajaur and South Waziristan. The Pakistan Army blamed Afghan nationals for involvement and urged the Taliban to prevent cross-border terror activity

Peshawar: The Pakistan army said at least 12 soldiers and 35 terrorists allegedly belonging to the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) have been killed in two separate operations in the northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.

The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the military’s media wing, said on Saturday that the operations were conducted in the last four days. An intelligence-based operation was conducted by the security forces in Bajaur district and in an intense exchange of fire, 22 terrorists belonging to the TTP were killed, it said.

---

In another encounter that took place in South Waziristan district, 13 TTP terrorists were neutralised and 12 soldiers lost their lives in the intense exchange of fire, the ISPR said.

Weapons and ammunition were also recovered from the terrorists, it said. The ISPR claimed the involvement of Afghan nationals in these terrorist acts. The ISPR said Pakistan expects the Taliban government in Afghanistan to uphold its responsibilities and deny the use of its soil for terrorist activities against Islamabad.

Sanitisation operations are being conducted to eliminate any other terrorists in the area, the ISPR said. Pakistan has seen a surge in terrorism since the TTP ended its ceasefire deal with the government in November 2022, vowing to increase attacks.