ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s security forces killed six militants during two separate encounters in the country’s restive northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province, the army’s media wing said in a statement late Friday.
The operations were carried out in the North Waziristan district at Pakistan’s border with Afghanistan, and in the Tank district of the Dera Ismail Khan division.
The South Asian country has seen an uptick in violence across the country over the last few months, especially in areas bordering Afghanistan, after a fragile truce between the state and the Pakistani Taliban militants, or the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), broke down in November last year.
“On 30 June 2023, six terrorists were [killed] as a result of successful operations conducted by the security forces in Tank and North Waziristan District,” the army’s media wing, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), said in a statement.
It said that the first encounter took place at Manzai, Tank District on the night of June 29-30. “Troops effectively engaged the terrorists’ location and resultantly, 3x terrorists were sent to hell,” it added. The ISPR said weapons and ammunition were also recovered from the slain militants.
“In another fierce encounter between own troops and terrorists in the general area Razmak of North Waziristan district, three more terrorists were [killed].”
The ISPR added that all militants gunned down during the encounters were actively involved in militant activities, especially attacking security forces and killing civilians.
“The sanitization of the area[s] is being carried out to eliminate any other terrorists found in the areas. The locals appreciated the operation[s] and expressed their full support to eliminate the menace of terrorism,” it added.
The TTP, emboldened by the return of the Afghan Taliban to power in 2021, has increasingly carried out attacks against Pakistani security forces, causing a strain in the relations between the two countries.
While the TTP is a separate entity from the Afghan Taliban, the group has sworn allegiance to the Afghan Talibn and Pakistan suspects the interim Afghan government hasn’t taken decisive action against the militants it says operates from Afghan soil.
The operations were carried out two days after the Pakistan Army said it had killed four militants in northwestern Pakistan during separate gunbattles.
Security forces kill six militants in northwestern Pakistan — military
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Security forces kill six militants in northwestern Pakistan — military
- Militants were gunned down during separate gunbattles in North Waziristan and Tank district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
- Operations carried out two days after the Pakistani military said it killed four militants in former districts of FATA
Pakistan consumer confidence rises by 4 percentage points in two years, survey shows
- Four in 10 Pakistanis believed the country is on the right track, with optimism higher among men
- Economic concerns remained most worrying, but their quantum fell drastically across all issues
ISLAMABAD: Consumer confidence in Pakistan has risen by 4 percentage points from 31.5 to 35.5 over the last two years, which highlights improving public optimism under the government’s tenure, Ipsos market research firm said in a recent survey.
The survey was conducted through computer-assisted telephonic interviews (CATI) and included more than a thousand participants from all provinces and Azad Kashmir and Gilgit Baltistan regions on Feb. 2-14.
It comes at a time when Pakistan has undergone a difficult period of stabilization, though international rating agencies have acknowledged improvements after Islamabad began implementing structural reforms as part of its $7 billion International Monetary Fund (IMF) program.
The Ipsos survey revealed a “measurable” improvement in Pakistan’s economic sentiment, marked by a decline in inflation alongside notable reductions in poverty and unemployment, since the current government took charge two years ago.
“These findings point to a clear two-year transformation in the Consumer Confidence Index, demonstrating the perceived impact of consistent governance and policy measures,” read the key takeout in the survey.
“Sustained performance, coupled with transparent communication of achievements, will be essential to maintain momentum, reinforce optimism, and support further improvements in economic confidence.”
Four in 10 Pakistanis believed the country is on the right track, with optimism higher among men, while confidence in the country’s direction being right increased more than three times, from 12 percent to 40 percent, since the government came to power, according to the survey.
Economic concerns remained most worrying, but their quantum fell drastically across all issues since the first quarter of 2024. Inflation has dropped by 23 percent, unemployment by 10 percent, poverty by 20 percent, electricity prices by 34 percent and the burden of additional taxes was reduced by 18 percent in Q1 2026 as compared to Q1 2024.
“One in 3 Pakistanis expect the economy to strengthen,” the survey read. “Confidence to invest has grown steadily over two years, rising from 11 percent to 16 percent, with even stronger optimism among urban residents.”
