ISLAMABAD: Five Pakistani security personnel have been killed in a militant attack near the border with Afghanistan, the military said on Saturday.
The attack took place in the Spinwam area of North Waziristan, in the northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, the military’s media wing, ISPR, said in a statement. The five security personnel killed were four Frontier Corps soldiers a Levies subinspector.
“Terrorists targeted security forces vehicle in Spinwam, North Waziristan,” the ISPR said. “Clearance operation is in progress to eliminate any terrorist found in the area.”
Earlier in the day, the attack was claimed by the Pakistani Taliban, or Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), but the ISPR did not confirm it.
The militant group, which is a separate entity from the Afghan Taliban, has carried out numerous past attacks in Pakistan, including the 2014 deadly attack on a Peshawar school that killed 154 people, mostly schoolchildren, and an attack on Nobel Laureate Malala Yousafzai.
Last month, President Arif Alvi and Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi announced the government was willing to offer amnesty to TTP members if they renounced violence and adhered to the country’s constitution, but the group it was proud of its “struggle” and was not seeking forgiveness from anyone.
North Waziristan served as a headquarters for local and foreign militants in the 2000s, until 2017, when the Pakistani army completed several operations in the mountainous region.
Recently, attacks in the area have been on the rise, targeting mainly security forces.
Militants kill five Pakistani troops near Afghan border
https://arab.news/vdqe4
Militants kill five Pakistani troops near Afghan border
- Security forces were ambushed in the Spinwam area of North Waziristan
- Attack was claimed by Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan but the Pakistani military did not confirm it
Pakistan deploys F-16 Block-52 jets to Saudi Arabia for multinational air combat exercise
- PAF joins US, UK, Gulf and European air forces in Spears of Victory-2026
- Deployment comes amid expanding Pakistan-Saudi defense cooperation
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Air Force has deployed F-16 Block-52 fighter aircraft to Saudi Arabia to take part in the multinational air combat exercise Spears of Victory-2026, marking a significant overseas deployment of its frontline combat jets, the military said on Monday.
The exercise is being hosted at King Abdulaziz Air Base and includes participation from Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, France, Italy, Greece, Qatar, Bahrain, Jordan, the United Kingdom and the United States, bringing together a wide range of advanced fighter aircraft and combat support elements.
Such multinational drills are designed to test air forces in complex, high-intensity scenarios, including large force employment, night composite air operations, integrated intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance missions, and operations in advanced electronic warfare environments. For Pakistan, participation provides exposure to contemporary combat doctrines and interoperability with leading Western and regional air forces.
“Pakistan Air Force contingent comprising F-16 Block-52 fighter aircraft, alongside dedicated air and ground crew, has arrived at King Abdulaziz Air Base, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, to participate in the multinational aerial combat Exercise Spears of Victory-2026,” a PAF spokesperson said in a statement.
The statement said PAF pilots flying F-16 Block-52 aircraft equipped with modern avionics and beyond-visual-range capabilities would be “pitched against aircrew of participating Air Forces operating a wide array of sophisticated combat aircraft” during the exercise.
It added that for the international deployment, “PAF fighter aircraft undertook a non-stop flight from their home base in Pakistan to Saudi Arabia, demonstrating the long-range operational reach and expeditionary capabilities of Pakistan Air Force.”
The air force said participation in the exercise reflects its intent to validate operational preparedness in a contested, technology-driven battlespace while enhancing interoperability and professional exchange with partner air forces.
The deployment comes amid deepening defense ties between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia. The two countries have expanded military cooperation through joint exercises, training exchanges and defense agreements in recent years, including a mutual defense cooperation pact signed last year.
Saudi Arabia remains one of Pakistan’s closest defense and security partners in the Middle East, with regular engagement across air, land and naval domains.
