ISLAMABAD, Pakistan — Pakistani security forces killed 13 members of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) during a military operation in North Waziristan near Afghanistan’s border, according to Pakistani media reports on Monday.
The early morning operation targeted what officials described as a TTP hideout in the Ghazoom Mandi area of Shawal Tehsil, North Waziristan.
The Pakistani military has not officially commented on the operation, but sources cited by Dawn newspaper indicated that a key TTP commander was among those killed, with several other members of the group reportedly injured.
Local residents described the targeted commander as a mastermind behind multiple suicide bombings. They also reported that two other commanders, identified as Gohar and Abu Bakr, also known as Mohsin, were injured during the operation.
“Thick black smoke rose from the hideout after the security forces’ operation,” said one resident. “Many of the TTP militants abandoned the bodies of their comrades and fled the scene.”
Rising insecurity in Pakistan
The operation comes amid a surge in militant violence across Pakistan, including bombings, suicide attacks, and other acts of terrorism. Pakistani officials have attributed much of the unrest to the TTP, which has intensified its attacks, particularly in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.
Pakistani authorities have accused the Afghan Taliban of providing safe havens to TTP militants, enabling them to plan and launch attacks from Afghan territory.
While the Taliban deny supporting the TTP, senior Pakistani officials, including the prime minister and defense minister, have claimed that TTP fighters are operating from sanctuaries in Afghanistan under Taliban rule.
The increasing violence has raised concerns about security in Pakistan, with officials calling for stronger measures to counter the TTP threat and its cross-border activities.
