Six Pakistani soldiers, including a high-ranking officer, were killed in a firefight with Islamist militants in the country’s volatile northwest, the military reported on Saturday. The clash took place in North Waziristan, a tribal district along the Afghan border, on Friday night.
Among those killed was Lieutenant Colonel Muhammad Ali Shoukat, who had been leading the operation against the militants. According to the military’s Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), six militants were also killed during the exchange of fire.
The soldiers who lost their lives alongside Lt. Col. Shoukat were identified as Lance Naik Muhammadullah of Khyber district, Lance Naik Akhtar Zaman of Lakki Marwat, Lance Naik Shahidullah of Tank, Lance Naik Yousuf Ali of Orakzai district, and Sepoy Jameel of Swat.
The incident comes amid a rise in violence in Pakistan, particularly in the northwest, where the military has been engaged in an ongoing fight against militant groups like Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and the Balochistan Liberation Army. Pakistan has repeatedly accused the Afghan Taliban of providing safe haven to the TTP, an allegation the Taliban deny. A recent U.N. report estimated that approximately 6,000 TTP fighters are currently based in Afghanistan.
The resurgence of militant activity in Pakistan has led to a sharp increase in security incidents over the past three years, adding pressure to the country’s already strained security apparatus.
