Pakistan’s military said on Thursday that an Afghan national was killed during a clash near the Afghanistan-Pakistan border after what it described as an attempted infiltration by militants.
In a statement, the army said it had detected the movement of a group of “terrorists” trying to cross into Pakistan through North Waziristan.
During the ensuing exchange of fire, one person identified as an Afghan citizen was killed.
“It is worth mentioning that the killed foreigner has been identified as an Afghan national,” the statement said.
The Taliban have not responded publicly to the claim.
The Pakistani military also said it had conducted several operations in recent days across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan provinces, killing 34 members of Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan, or TTP, and the Baloch Liberation Army.
According to the statement, 26 militants were killed in four separate engagements in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, including in Lakki Marwat, Narmi Khel in Bannu, and Mir Ali in North Waziristan. Eight others were killed in Sambaza in Balochistan.
The Pakistani military did not provide information about casualties among Pakistani security forces.
The announcement comes amid continuing tensions between Islamabad and the Taliban. The Taliban have repeatedly denied that armed groups operate from Afghanistan’s territory or that they allow the country’s soil to be used against other countries.
Pakistani officials, however, have continued to press the Taliban to prevent the activities of groups such as the TTP and the Baloch Liberation Army, which Islamabad says operate from within Afghanistan.
