Pakistani security forces say they killed six militants near the Afghanistan border in two operations last Friday.
Pakistani officials told the Associated Press that military forces carried out raids on militant hideouts in Tank and North Waziristan districts, both in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.
Officials also said to have seized weapons and ammunitions from the militants’ hideouts, AP reports.
It is unclear which group the militants belonged to. However, the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) has long been active in the area. The Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISKP) is also believed to have a presence in the area. On 28 June, Pakistani military officials said to have had killed an ISKP commander and two others during a raid in Bajur district of Khayber Pakhtunkhwa.
Since the Taliban takeover in August 2021, has significantly emboldened the TTP.
A recent UN Security Council report states that the Taliban maintains close ties with the TTP and other transnational terrorist groups, which have expanded their operational activities and enjoy “greater freedom of maneuver” under the Taliban.
Moreover, the Taliban and the Pakistani government have reportedly agreed to relocate thousands of TTP members and their families in northern and central Afghanistan.
The policy has been widely criticised from the Taliban’s opponents. The group, it has been argued, is trying to change the ethnic make-up of the regions.
