At least six Pakistani military personnel were killed Thursday in a clash with suspected members of the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) armed group — known as the Pakistani Taliban — in Jiber Pakhtunkhwa province, on the border with Afghanistan.
The Pakistani Army has pointed to an »intense exchange of fire» during the clash, which has taken place in North Waziristan, and has added that »three terrorists have been sent to hell», as reported by the Pakistani daily ‘Dawn’.
He also stressed that »a clean-up operation is underway to eliminate any terrorists located in the area». Pakistan’s security forces are determined to eliminate the menace of terrorism and the sacrifices of our brave soldiers reinforce this determination,» he said.
The Pakistani Taliban announced in late November the end of the ceasefire agreed with the Pakistani authorities amid contacts being mediated by the Afghan Taliban after their seizure of power in Afghanistan in August 2021. Islamabad has denounced that the TTP uses Afghan territory for its attacks and has even threatened cross-border operations, something firmly rejected by Kabul.
The TTP, which differs from the Afghan Taliban in organizational matters but follows the same rigorist interpretation of Sunni Islam, brings together more than a dozen Islamist militant groups operating in Pakistan, where they have killed some 70,000 people in two decades of violence.
Source: (EUROPA PRESS)
