At least 12 soldiers were killed in a violent ambush carried out by the Pakistani Taliban in northwest Pakistan on Saturday, according to local government and security officials. The incident occurred as a military convoy was navigating through a town in the South Waziristan district around 4:00 am, when armed assailants opened fire from both sides using heavy weaponry. In addition to the fatalities, four soldiers were reported wounded in the attack.
A local government representative confirmed the death toll, further noting that the attackers had managed to seize weapons from the convoy. The Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), the militant group responsible for the assault, took to social media to claim responsibility, reinforcing their connection to the broader patterns of violence in the region. While the TTP is closely associated with the Afghan Taliban, it operates as a distinct entity.
This attack marks one of the deadliest incidents in months within Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, a region where the TTP previously held significant control until they were pushed back by military operations that started in 2014. Reports indicate a resurgence in militancy along the border regions with Afghanistan, particularly following the Taliban’s return to power in Kabul in 2021.
The government in Islamabad has accused Afghanistan of harboring militants who use Afghan territory to launch attacks into Pakistan, a claim that has been categorically denied by Afghan authorities. Local residents in various districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have raised concerns as graffiti bearing the TTP’s name has begun to appear on buildings, provoking fears reminiscent of the group’s prior domination during the peak of the U.S. “War on Terror.”
According to recent statements from a senior local official, both the number of TTP fighters and attacks have dramatically increased. Statistics compiled by AFP reveal that nearly 460 individuals, predominantly security personnel, have lost their lives in attacks perpetrated by armed groups since the start of the year. This alarming trend highlights an escalating security crisis, with last year recorded as Pakistan’s deadliest in nearly a decade, resulting in over 1,600 deaths, nearly half of whom were soldiers and police officers, as noted by the Islamabad-based Center for Research and Security Studies.
