Peshawar: According to Pakistan's military, security forces have conducted raids on two militant hideouts in areas close to the Afghan border, sparking intense gun battles that claimed the lives of six militants over the Eid holiday.
According to a military statement, the two raids were carried out early on Friday in the districts of Tank and North Waziristan based on reliable intelligence reports about militant infiltration and concealment in the regions close to the Afghan border.
Security forces also seized weapons and ammo from the hideout and were clearing the area, the military reported late Friday.
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The six dead were not identified or their organisations revealed by the military, but most militants are associated with Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, also known as the Pakistani Taliban.
The Afghan Taliban, a distinct organisation but an ally of the TTP, overthrew the government in the neighbouring nation in August 2021 as US and NATO troops were nearing the end of their withdrawal. The Taliban's takeover of Afghanistan has given the Pakistani Taliban more confidence, and they have increased their attacks on law enforcement and military targets recently.
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The Daesh terrorist organisation has left its mark in the area as well. An intelligence-based operation earlier this week in the Bajur district, another area in northwest Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province bordering Afghanistan, resulted in the death of a Daesh commander known as Shafi Ullah. On Wednesday, three militants were killed, including him.
In recent years, Pakistan's military has conducted significant operations in the tribal region near the Afghan border, which for decades served as a safe haven for both domestic and foreign militants. Attacks are still being carried out in the area by militants, though.
