Twelve Pakistani soldiers were killed on Saturday after Islamist militants ambushed a military convoy in the volatile South Waziristan region near the Afghan border, officials confirmed.
According to a statement from Pakistan’s military, the convoy was moving through the mountainous Badar area when it came under heavy fire. The clash triggered an intense firefight that left 12 soldiers and 13 militants dead. At least four others were injured.
The Pakistani Taliban, also known as Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), claimed responsibility for the attack, saying its fighters seized weapons and drones from the soldiers. Local residents reported that military helicopters flew over the area for hours after the attack, airlifting casualties and searching for remaining assailants.
Security officials said convoy routes are usually cleared before movements to minimize risks, underscoring the scale and planning of the ambush.
Islamabad has repeatedly accused the Afghan Taliban administration of sheltering the TTP and allowing it to launch cross-border attacks, a charge Kabul denies. Pakistan’s military reiterated its expectation that the Afghan authorities “deny use of its soil for terrorists’ activities against Pakistan.”
The TTP has intensified attacks on security forces since the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan in 2021, further straining relations between Islamabad, Kabul, and New Delhi, the latter also being accused by Pakistan of backing the militants, a claim India denies.
Source: Reuters
Written By Rodney Mbua
