The Pakistan Army has conducted a successful security operation, resulting in the killing of six suspected militants in the Dattakhel area of the North Waziristan tribal district. According to a statement issued by the Pakistan Army’s media wing, the terrorists who were killed were actively involved in terrorist activities against both security forces and civilians. Weapons and ammunition were also recovered from the militants who were killed.
The security operation was carried out in response to a surge in attacks on security forces across the country, most of which were claimed by the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), a consortium of several militant groups operating in Pakistan. Islamabad has been calling on Kabul not to allow militant groups to use its soil as a launchpad to attack Pakistani security forces, following the Taliban’s recapture of Afghanistan in August 2021.
North Waziristan, once known as the heartland of militancy, is one of seven former semi-autonomous tribal districts in the country where the army has conducted a series of operations since 2014 to eliminate the TTP. The operations have pushed the TTP towards neighboring Afghanistan, and Islamabad claims that the terrorist network has now set up bases across the border to attack Pakistani security forces.
Pakistan is believed to have a degree of influence over the Taliban. However, in contrast to Islamabad’s hopes for a further decrease in attacks from the bordering areas following the Taliban retaking control of Kabul, the army has still been facing a series of deadly attacks. The successful security operation is a significant achievement for the Pakistan Army in its ongoing fight against militancy in the region.
