KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – Two Pakistani army personnel and five militants were killed in a clash in the Bannu district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, near the Afghan border.
According to a statement released by the Pakistani military on Saturday (February 21), the confrontation occurred during an intelligence-led operation targeting Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and preventing a suicide bombing.
The military said five militants were killed in the exchange of fire. Subsequently, another militant rammed a vehicle laden with explosives into an army vehicle, killing one officer and one soldier.
The statement added that the TTP continues to carry out terrorist activities inside Pakistan using Afghan soil, violating the sanctity of the holy month of Ramadan. “Khwarij are continuing with their terrorist activities inside Pakistan using Afghan soil, violating the sanctity of the holy month of Ramadan. This clearly indicates that they have no link with Islam.”
It also criticized the Afghan Taliban, saying, “The Afghan Taliban Regime has yet again failed to stop the Khwarij from use of Afghan soil for terrorist activities inside Pakistan, that too in the holy month of Ramadan. Pakistan will not exercise any restrain and operations would continue against the perpetrators of this heinous and cowardly act for justified retribution against Khwarij irrespective of their location.”
In addition, the statement added: “Counter Terrorism campaign under vision “Azm-e-Istehkam” (as approved by the Federal Apex Committee on National Action Plan) by Security Forces and Law Enforcement Agencies of Pakistan will continue at full pace to wipe out the menace of foreign-sponsored and supported terrorism from the country and such sacrifices of our brave soldiers further reinforce our unwavering commitment of safeguarding our nation at all costs.”
In recent days, Pakistani officials have repeatedly warned that if the Taliban fail to act against the insurgents, Pakistan will not hesitate to carry out strikes inside Afghanistan.
The Taliban, however, have denied that groups like the TTP operate from Afghan territory, stating they do not allow any group to use Afghanistan as a base for attacks against other countries.
Pakistan has seen a sharp rise in militant attacks in recent years, particularly in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, where TTP and separatist groups such as the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) have increased attacks on military installations, checkpoints, and security patrols.
A recent report by the Centre for Research and Security Studies (CRSS), an Islamabad-based think tank, documented 901 fatalities and 599 injuries from 329 violent incidents, including militant attacks and counterterrorism operations, over the past three months. The report said the figures represented a 46% increase compared to the same period last year and warned that the country was on track to surpass 2024, already the deadliest year in a decade.
Tensions between the two former allies have escalated in recent months. Border clashes in October left dozens dead on both sides before a fragile ceasefire was brokered in Doha. Follow-up talks in Istanbul have so far made no headway, with Pakistan reportedly seeking written guarantees that the Taliban will rein in and relocate TTP fighters, conditions the Taliban have not yet formally agreed to.
