ISLAMABAD: Pakistani security forces on Thursday killed eight militants and arrested five others in two separate intelligence-based operations in the northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, the army’s media wing said in a statement.
According to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the first operation was conducted in the Jani Khel area of the Bannu district in which six militants were killed and five were taken into custody.
The second operation was carried out in the Datta Khel area of North Waziristan district, killing two militants after an intense exchange of fire.
Datta Khel was part of the erstwhile Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) of the country which were later merged with the province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in 2018. The area used to be a stronghold of Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) militants who carried out some of the deadliest attacks against Pakistani security forces.
The TTP is distinct from the Afghan Taliban, though its leaders have taken oath of allegiance to the administration in Kabul.
“On 21 September 2023, security forces conducted intelligence-based operations in two districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, which resulted in the killing of eight terrorists and the apprehension of five terrorists and their facilitators,” the ISPR said.
It added the slain militants from Bannu were involved in numerous “terrorist” activities against the security forces, including the facilitation of a motorcycle-borne suicide attack on a military convoy in Jani Khel on August 23, in which nine soldiers were killed.
“Weapons and ammunition were also recovered from killed terrorists, [while] the sanitization of the surrounding areas is being carried out to neutralize any other terrorist found in the area,” the ISPR statement added. “Security forces of Pakistan remain determined to eliminate the menace of terrorism.”
Militancy in Pakistan witnessed a significant decline due to the army’s operations conducted in these areas in the past.
Following the return of Afghan Taliban to power in 2021, however, there has been a significant increase in attacks in regions along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border.
This surge was primarily witnessed after a fragile truce between the TTP and the government in Islamabad collapsed in November last year.
Security forces kill eight militants, detain five in northwest Pakistan — army
https://arab.news/9rmnx
Security forces kill eight militants, detain five in northwest Pakistan — army
- Pakistan army says militants were killed in two separate operations in Bannu and North Waziristan districts
- It maintains these militants were involved in numerous ‘terrorist’ activities against the country’s security forces
Pakistan president meets UAE counterpart, explores trade, investment opportunities
- Asif Ali Zardari is in UAE on four-day visit to strengthen bilateral ties, review bilateral cooperation
- Both sides discuss regional, international developments, reaffirm commitment to promote peace
ISLAMABAD: President Asif Ali Zardari met his UAE counterpart Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al-Nahyan in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday during which both sides explored new opportunities in trade, investment, energy and other sectors, Zardari's office said.
Zardari arrived in Abu Dhabi on Monday evening with a high-level delegation on a four-day official visit to the UAE to review trade, economic and security cooperation.
"The leaders discussed ways to further deepen the longstanding and brotherly relations between Pakistan and the UAE," a statement from Zardari's office said about his meeting with the UAE president.
"They reviewed the full spectrum of bilateral cooperation and explored new opportunities in trade, investment, energy, infrastructure, technology, and people-to-people exchanges, highlighting the significant potential for expanding economic and strategic partnership.
Zardari highlighted the significance of Al-Nayhan's visit to Pakistan last month, the statement said, expressing appreciation for the UAE's continued support for strengthening bilateral ties.
It said both sides also exchanged views on a range of regional and international developments, reaffirming their commitment to promoting peace, stability and sustainable development.
The meeting was also attended by Pakistan's First Lady Aseefa Bhutto-Zardari, the Pakistani president's son Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, who is also the chairman of the Pakistan Peoples Party, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi and Pakistan's ambassador to the UAE.
ZARDARI MEETS AD PORTS CEO
Zardari earlier met AD Ports Group CEO Captain Mohamed Juma Al-Shamisi to discuss the group's investment initiatives in Karachi.
"Both sides agreed that the expansion and modernization of port infrastructure would strengthen trade flows and support Pakistan’s broader economic development and country’s seaborne trade," the President's Secretariat said in a statement.
It added that Zardari described the AD Ports Group's long-term investment and expanding role in Pakistan's maritime and logistics sector as a key pillar of Pakistan–UAE economic cooperation.
Pakistan and the UAE maintain close political and economic relations, with Abu Dhabi playing a pivotal role in supporting Islamabad during periods of financial stress through deposits, oil facilities and investment commitments.
The UAE is Pakistan's third-largest trading partner, after China and the United States, and a key destination for Pakistani exports, particularly food, textiles and construction services.
The Gulf state is also home to more than 1.5 million Pakistani expatriates, one of the largest overseas Pakistani communities in the world, who contribute billions of dollars annually in remittances, a crucial source of foreign exchange for Pakistan’s economy.
Beyond trade and labor ties, Pakistan and the UAE have steadily expanded defense and security cooperation over the years, including military training, joint exercises and collaboration in counter-terrorism and regional security matters.
