Islamabad, Aug. 6 (EFE).- The Pakistani Taliban on Wednesday claimed to have captured two military check-posts and killed six soldiers in northwestern Pakistan in an area close to the Afghan border.
In a series of statements, the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) – the main Pakistani faction of the Taliban – said that it had launched an operation against the security forces in the northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province in the early hours of Wednesday.
“As a result of the large-scale operation of Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, two military posts have been conquered and weapons and equipment have been taken into possession as of now,” the TTP said, adding that “six army personnel have also been killed.”
The attack took place in the Bamborate area in the Chitral district of the province, which borders Afghanistan
The Pakistani military has not responded to the claim so far.
Addressing the locals, the outlawed group said the people of Chitral should not be scared as no harm will come to them.
“Our war is against usurping and oppressive security agencies,” the TTP proclaimed.
Locals in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa had alerted the authorities in recent months about TTP fighters returning to their areas from neighboring Afghanistan.
Islamabad has also claimed that the TTP leadership and fighters are using Afghan soil to carry out activities against Pakistan
The Afghan Taliban – ideologically close to the Pakistani faction – have denied these claims.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was a stronghold of the Pakistani Taliban for years until the authorities launched a fierce military offensive in 2014.
Although the army claims the area has been cleared of insurgents, attacks on security checkpoints and shootings have increased in recent years, especially since their ideological brethren took control of Kabul in 2021.
The Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan group is an umbrella organization for a number of Pakistani armed groups that are allied with the Afghan Taliban.
After months of unsuccessful peace negotiations with the government, it announced the resumption of its armed activities in November 2022. EFE
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