ISLAMABAD: Two militants and two Pakistani soldiers were killed in an "intense" exchange of fire in Pakistan's northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, the military's media wing said on Wednesday, as the country grapples with rising incidences of militancy ever since the Taliban took hold of the country in 2021.
The Pakistani Taliban or Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) have carried out some of the deadliest attacks on Pakistani security forces and civilians over the past decade. The TTP seeks to impose its strict brand of Islam on the rest of the country, which the Pakistani state refuses to recognize.
The Pakistani Taliban held sway over a large area of the country's northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province a decade earlier before security forces conducted an operation to drive them away. In November last year, talks between the state and the TTP—facilitated by the Afghan Taliban—broke down. The banned outfit has since then mounted attacks against the country's security forces.
“On 25 April 2023, a fire exchange took place between own troops and terrorists in general area Tirah of Khyber District,” the military’s media wing, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), said in a statement. “Own troops effectively engaged the terrorists’ location and resultantly, two [more] terrorists were sent to hell, while four terrorists were injured,” the ISPR said, adding that weapons and ammunition were also recovered from the slain militants.
The military's media wing said that during the intense exchange of fire, two Pakistani soldiers were killed, which included Sepoy Waqas Ali Shah, 26, from District Charsadda, and Sepoy Basit Ali, 24, from District Peshawar.
“The security forces of Pakistan are determined to eliminate the menace of terrorism and such sacrifices of our brave soldiers further strengthen our resolve,” it added.
The surge in attacks by the TTP has triggered tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan, with the former asking the latter to take decisive actions against militants it alleges are using Afghan soil to launch attacks in Pakistan. Islamabad has threatened to carry out cross-border attacks into Afghanistan if the Taliban fail to take action against militants.
The Taliban have assured action would be taken against all militants found guilty of launching attacks in Pakistan, and have cautioned Islamabad against issuing provocative statements.