At least six soldiers and as many terrorists were killed in a gunfight in Pakistan’s restive Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, the military said on Saturday. An officer was among the soldiers who lost their lives.The military’s media wing, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), informed in a statement that the exchange of fire took place on the night between October 4-5 at the Spinwam area in the North Waziristan district, bordering Afghanistan, during which six soldiers, including a Lieutenant Colonel, and “six Khwarij,” were killed.
The statement further stated that during the “intense fire exchange,” 43-year-old Lieutenant Colonel Muhammad Ali Shoukat, who was leading the operation against the terrorists, was killed along with five other soldiers.
Meanwhile, the responsibility of the attack was claimed by banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). The TTP was set up in 2007 as an umbrella group of several militant outfits.
Pakistan has officially declared TTP as ‘Fitna al-Khawarij’ and the notification by the Interior Ministry stresses upon the use of the term ‘khariji’ (outlawed) along with the names of such terrorists. The Pakistani government has repeatedly accused the TTP of operating from sanctuaries in Afghanistan, a claim denied by the Afghan Taliban.
The incidents of terrorism in Pakistan are on the rise since the Taliban took over the government in Kabul in 2021, dashing hopes in Islamabad that a friendly government in Afghanistan would extend help to tackle militancy. The two countries have lately witnessed strained relations largely because of the TTP but also due to frequent border skirmishes.