The Pakistan Taliban Border Clash has left at least 30 people dead including 11 Pakistani soldiers after intense fighting erupted near the Afghan border. The deadly confrontation began during an intelligence raid in Orakzai district where the Pakistan Taliban claimed responsibility for attacking a military convoy.
The army confirmed that a fierce gun battle broke out early Wednesday when troops carried out an operation targeting armed groups in Orakzai district close to the Afghan border. During the raid militants ambushed a military convoy using a roadside bomb followed by heavy gunfire. Eleven soldiers including Lieutenant Colonel Junaid Arif and Major Tayyab Rahat were killed while 19 fighters died in the clash.
Officials said the armed men were part of banned outfits described by the military as Khawarij a term used for militant groups like the Pakistan Taliban. The army said the operation was based on intelligence about the movement of insurgents attempting to cross from Afghanistan into Pakistan.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif paid tribute to the fallen soldiers praising the forces for their courage and sacrifice. The Pakistan Taliban which seeks to impose its hardline ideology has intensified attacks in recent months using bases along the Afghan border. The government blames the group for rising violence and accuses external actors of supporting their activities.
