2LT International News

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan: Pakistan’s army said on June 4 that its security forces raided a militant hideout and killed 14 insurgents during a gunfight in the northwest part of the country.

The raid happened overnight in North Waziristan, a district in the northwestern province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The military said the operation targeted Pakistani Taliban fighters linked to an Indian proxy group. India has not responded to these claims.

Pakistan’s army also said that further cleanup operations are ongoing to remove Pakistani Taliban groups, which it claims are supported by India.

Pakistani officials often accuse India of backing banned groups like the Baloch Liberation Army and the Pakistani Taliban, who are responsible for violent attacks inside Pakistan. These accusations have increased since May, as tensions between Pakistan and India have grown.

The two nuclear-armed countries have seen rising conflict, especially over the disputed Kashmir region. Kashmir is split between the two countries, but both want complete control over it.

The Pakistani Taliban, known as Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan or TTP, has become stronger since the Afghan Taliban took power in Afghanistan in 2021. Many TTP fighters and leaders have reportedly taken shelter in Afghanistan.