Pakistani troops kill 14 militants in raid near Afghan border

Pakistan’s security forces raided a militant hideout and killed 14 insurgents during a shootout in the country's northwest, the military said on Wednesday.

The overnight raid was conducted on the reported presence of Pakistani Taliban in North Waziristan, a district in northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, the military said in a statement.

Pakistan’s military said sanitisation operations are being conducted to eliminate Pakistani Taliban groups.

Pakistani authorities often accuse India of backing outlawed Baloch Liberation Army and Pakistani Taliban groups that commit violence in Pakistan.

The Pakistani Taliban, which calls itself Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan, or TTP, has been emboldened since its allies, the Afghan Taliban, returned to power in 2021. Many TTP leaders and fighters have taken sanctuary in Afghanistan.

Associated Press