KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – The Pakistani Army announced Tuesday that three members of the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) were killed while attempting to cross into Pakistan from Afghanistan.
The Pakistani Army said in a statement that the incident occurred last night in the Hassan Khel area of North Waziristan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, along Pakistan’s border with Afghanistan.
The statement noted that a group of TTP militants, attempting to infiltrate Pakistan from the border region, was intercepted by security forces. Following the identification of the group, a clash ensued, resulting in the deaths of three militants.
The military claimed to have successfully thwarted the group’s attempt to enter the country.
The statement also reiterated Pakistan’s long-standing demand that the Taliban in Afghanistan take responsibility for effectively managing the border to prevent militant infiltration. The Pakistani military emphasized that it expects the Taliban to honor their commitments and prevent Afghanistan’s territory from being used by terrorist groups like the TTP.
Relations between Islamabad and the Taliban have been strained in recent years, primarily due to the TTP’s activities and periodic border tensions. The TTP, which shares a similar ideology with the Afghan Taliban, has stepped up its attacks on Pakistani security forces, worsening the security situation in Pakistan.
Pakistani officials have repeatedly called on the Taliban to take action against TTP militants operating in Afghanistan, including handing over their leaders. The Pakistan Ministry of Foreign Affairs recently warned the Taliban not to “test the patience of the Pakistani people” regarding terrorism, signaling that Islamabad would no longer tolerate support for groups that threaten its security.
Despite these calls, the Taliban has consistently denied the presence of TTP fighters in Afghanistan, asserting that the group operates from within Pakistan and controls parts of the country. Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid has previously stated that the Afghan Taliban is not responsible for Pakistan’s internal security challenges.
As tensions continue, both sides remain at odds over how to address the growing threat posed by militant groups operating along the volatile Afghanistan-Pakistan border.
