A deadly ambush in South Waziristan has left at least 12 Pakistani soldiers dead. The attack, which happened early Saturday, was claimed by the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).
The Attack
Officials said the incident took place at around 4:00 am. A military convoy was moving through the area when gunmen opened fire from both sides of the road. The militants used heavy weapons.
Twelve soldiers were killed on the spot. Four others were wounded. Security sources added that the attackers seized weapons from the convoy before escaping.
Military Response
Pakistan’s army condemned the attack. In a statement, it said intelligence reports confirmed that Afghan nationals were involved. The military called on Afghanistan’s interim government to stop militants from using its soil to launch attacks. Kabul has rejected such claims in the past.
Leadership Reaction
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Army Chief General Asim Munir attended the soldiers’ funerals. Sharif repeated the government’s stance on undocumented Afghan citizens. He said it was important for illegal residents to be repatriated quickly.
Pakistan has already sent back more than two million Afghans this year, according to the UN.
Rising Militancy
The TTP once controlled large parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa before being pushed back in 2014. But the group appears to be returning. Residents in the province have recently reported TTP graffiti and growing threats.
Attacks have surged since the Taliban took over in Afghanistan in 2021. Nearly 460 people, most of them security officers, have died in militant violence this year alone. Last year saw over 1,600 deaths, making it Pakistan’s bloodiest year in almost a decade.
The South Waziristan ambush highlights the growing threat of militancy in the border regions.
