At least four soldiers of Pakistan’s paramilitary forces were killed in an attack by the local Taliban in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province in northwestern Pakistan. The incident occurred at a security checkpoint in the Khurram district of the province, which shares a border with Afghanistan, according to a police official on Sunday.
According to a report by the French news agency AFP, heavily armed militants launched a surprise attack on the security checkpoint early Sunday morning. The police official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity due to restrictions on speaking to the media, confirmed the attack and stated that at least seven others were injured.
Since the Taliban regained power in Afghanistan in August 2021, violence has surged in Pakistan. The banned militant group Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), also known as the Pakistani Taliban, is highly active in Pakistan’s northwestern regions, frequently targeting security forces.
Following the Taliban’s takeover of Kabul, relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan have remained tense. Islamabad has accused Afghan-based militants of conducting attacks in Pakistan, a claim denied by the Afghan Taliban government.
In December, Pakistan’s military conducted airstrikes on militant hideouts in Afghanistan, resulting in dozens of casualties. Last week, a suicide bomber detonated two car bombs in the Bannu district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, killing at least 13 civilians and five soldiers.