Pakistan: Ambush by TTP near Afghanistan border claims lives of 11 soldiers

A deadly ambush by Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) fighters near the Afghan border in the early hours of Wednesday claimed the lives of at least 11 Pakistani soldiers, including two senior officers - Maj Tayyab Rahat and Lt Col Junaid Arif.

The attack was reported from the Kurram district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) province. TTP fighters launched heavy gunfire at a military post, catching Pak military personnel by surprise. The TTP also suffered casualties in the fierce gunbattle, which lasted for a few hours, though the exact number remains unclear, sources said.


The latest attack comes amid rising tensions, with the TTP retaliating against the Pakistani military's support for terror groups like Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), which have gained ground in KPK of late. The ideological divide between the groups - the TTP adheres to Deobandi ideology and is anti-Pakistan, whereas groups like LeT follow the Ahle Hadith ideology and are pro-Pakistan -- is only fuelling the violence.

Despite Pakistan's long-standing support for the Taliban, a militant group trained in Deobandi madrasas and instrumental in the fight against Russian and American forces, as well as local ethnic groups like the Tajiks, the TTP has defied Islamabad's expectations by asserting its autonomy. This independence poses a potential challenge for Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) agency, particularly in its plans to establish a new base for LeT in KPK, a region considered a Taliban stronghold.

The TTP has turned vocal against Pak government's directly facilitating the relocation of terror groups from POK to Khyber regions. The situation turned tense when Pakistani military launched a "clean-up drive" in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to neutralise TTP cadres in Lower Dir district, a move aimed at smoothening LeT operations. The drive, launched in June, has not only resulted in the death of over two dozen TTP operatives but also allowed the LeT to start constructing its new terror centre within a month of the operation.