Islamabad, Oct 5, (dpa/GNA) – At least six Pakistani soldiers and six Islamist militants were killed in north-western Pakistan, near the Afghan border, the military said on Saturday.
The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the military’s media wing, said a lieutenant colonel who was leading the troops, was also killed in the overnight fighting in the North Waziristan district of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.
The region has served in the past as a stronghold for Islamist militants, linked with al-Qaeda and Afghan Taliban.
“Security forces of Pakistan are determined to wipe out the menace of terrorism, and such sacrifices of our brave soldiers further strengthen our resolve,” the ISPR said.
Violence in Pakistan by the Pakistani Taliban, who are different from their Afghan counterparts, has surged three-fold since the Islamist militia, took over Kabul in 2021, according to data.
The Interior Ministry reported that in 2023 alone, 930 people, primarily security personnel, lost their lives to acts of terrorism, with approximately 2,000 others injured.
Over the years, some 80,000 Pakistanis have been killed in violence, carried out by the Pakistani Taliban, who seek to overthrow the government and impose a strict regime of Islamic law regime, similar to that in Afghanistan.
GNA
