Pakistani security forces killed 20 militants belonging to the Pakistani Taliban during raids on their hideouts in the country’s northwest, near the Afghan border, AFP reported, quoting military officials as saying.
In a separate incident, militants — including a suicide bomber — attempted to storm a cadet college in Wana, South Waziristan, sparking a fierce gunfight in which at least two attackers were killed, the military added.
The operations come as Pakistan and Afghanistan traded blame for the failure of a third round of peace talks held in Istanbul over the weekend. The negotiations, brokered by Qatar and Turkey, were aimed at easing tensions that have flared since deadly border clashes last month left dozens dead on both sides.
Pakistan’s military identified the slain as members of the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), a group banned by Islamabad and designated a terrorist organisation by both the United Nations and the United States. Eight militants were killed Sunday in North Waziristan — once a TTP stronghold — and another 12 in Dara Adam Khel, both in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.
The army said the suicide attacker in South Waziristan rammed an explosives-laden vehicle into the main gate of the cadet college. Troops killed two gunmen and trapped three others inside an administrative block. The military alleged the attackers had links to India and handlers in Afghanistan, warning that “Pakistan reserves the right to respond against terrorists and their leadership present in Afghanistan.”
Closely linked to the Afghan Taliban, the TTP has grown more assertive since the Taliban’s return to power in Kabul in 2021. Many of its leaders are believed to be sheltering in Afghanistan, AFP reported. Pakistan has witnessed a sharp rise in militant attacks in recent years and accuses Kabul of failing to act against cross-border incursions, a charge the Taliban government rejects.
Tensions have worsened since Afghanistan accused Pakistan of carrying out drone strikes in Kabul on October 9 and vowed retaliation. Subsequent fighting killed dozens, prompting Qatar to broker a ceasefire on October 19, followed by two rounds of talks in Istanbul. However, the latest discussions collapsed after Kabul refused to provide written assurances that it would prevent TTP and other groups from operating on its soil.
