Pakistan army says four soldiers killed

8/11/2024 6:19

        The Pakistan army said on
        Thursday that four of its soldiers were killed in a firefight
        with militants near the northwestern border with Afghanistan.
        
        Five Islamist militants were also killed, it said.
        
        The fire exchange took place in tribal region of South
        Waziristan, which sits next to the Afghan border - a region that
        has long been a safe haven for the militants who operate on both
        sides of the border.
        
        Islamabad says the militants use the Afghan soil to train
        and plan attacks in Pakistan, a charge Kabul denies, saying the
        militancy has been a home grown problem for the South Asian
        nation.
        
        An umbrella group of the militants called Tahreek-e-Taliban
        Pakistan have been attacking Pakistan and its forces for years
        in a bid to overthrow the government and replace it with their
        harsh Islamic system.
        
        It has accelerated attacks since last year after it revoked
        a ceasefire with the government, accusing it of violating the
        truce.