ISLAMABAD: The Pakistani Taliban claimed a brazen overnight raid on an army outpost near the border with Afghanistan on Saturday, which intelligence officials said killed 16 soldiers and critically wounded five more.
The siege started after midnight and lasted about two hours as around 30 militants pummelled the mountainous outpost from three sides, one senior intelligence official told AFP on condition of anonymity.
“Sixteen soldiers were martyred and five were critically injured in the assault,” he said. “The militants set fire to the wireless communication equipment, documents and other items present at the checkpoint.”
A second intelligence official also anonymously confirmed the toll of dead and wounded in the attack in the Makeen area of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, 40 kilometers (24 miles) from the Afghan border.
Pakistan’s domestic chapter of the Taliban claimed the attack in a statement, saying it was staged “in retaliation for the martyrdom of our senior commanders.”
The group claimed to have seized a hoard of military gear including machine guns and a night vision device.
Pakistan’s military has not yet issued a statement on the incident.
Pakistan has been battling a resurgence of militant violence in its western border regions since the Taliban’s 2021 return to power in Afghanistan.
Islamabad accuses Kabul’s rulers of failing to root out militants staging attacks on Pakistan from over the border.
The Pakistani Taliban — known as Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) — share a common ideology with their Afghan counterparts who surged back to power three years ago.
Kabul’s new rulers have pledged to evict foreign militant groups from Afghan soil.
But a UN Security Council report in July estimated up to 6,500 TTP fighters are based there — and said “the Taliban do not conceive of TTP as a terrorist group.”
The report said the Afghan Taliban show “ad hoc support to, and tolerance of, TTP operations, including the supplying of weapons and permission for training.”
The spike in attacks has soured Islamabad-Kabul relations. Security was cited as one reason for Pakistan’s campaign last year to evict hundreds of thousands of undocumented Afghan migrants.
Pakistan Taliban claim raid killing 16 soldiers in northwestern province
https://arab.news/vg5g7
Pakistan Taliban claim raid killing 16 soldiers in northwestern province
- Officials confirm privately militants set fire to the wireless communication equipment, documents
- Pakistan’s military has not issued a statement on the siege of its outpost that lasted for two hours
Pakistan defense minister reiterates Israel recognition ‘not on the cards’
- Pakistan maintains a firm policy of not recognizing Israel, frequently criticizes it for rights violations in Middle East
- Defense Minister Khawaja Asif accuses India of fueling “proxy war” in Pakistan via Afghanistan, militant outfits
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Defense Minister Khawaja Asif on Wednesday ruled out the possibility of Islamabad establishing diplomatic relations with Israel, saying such a move may be considered in the future if Palestinians secure an independent homeland for themselves.
Pakistan does not have diplomatic relations with Israel and maintains a firm policy of non-recognition, rooted in its support for an independent Palestinian state in the Middle East with Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital.
When asked during an interview with France 24 whether Pakistan will “normalize” relations with Israel similar to some other Muslim states, Asif answered:
“I don’t see this option even being considered by Pakistan.”
The defense minister said Pakistan could “maybe” consider establishing ties with Israel in the future once Palestinians have the right of self-determination in the Middle East and their own homeland.
“So this [recognition] is something, you know, it’s not on the cards at all,” he said.
https://x.com/PakinGermany_/status/2024058118749995138
‘PROXY WAR’
Asif accused India of waging a “proxy war” against Pakistan via militant attacks, saying that New Delhi and Kabul, as well as militant outfits, “are on the same page.”
The Pakistani defense minister said Islamabad and New Delhi are not in direct or indirect contact with each other since India and Pakistan’s May 2025 armed conflict.
He said some “friendly countries” had tried to mediate between Pakistan and Afghanistan amid increasing tensions.
“But these attempts did not really produce any results,” Asif said.
The remarks come after Pakistan’s Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi alleged that India was behind last month’s coordinated attacks in the southwestern Balochistan province, which the military says killed 18 civilians and 15 troops.
Pakistan has frequently blamed India for supporting militant attacks in the restive Balochistan and northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces, allegations that New Delhi has repeatedly denied.
