Pakistan: 4 troops killed in clash with militants, army says

Four Pakistani soldiers and five militants were killed in an exchange of fire near the northwestern border with Afghanistan, the military said in a statement on Thursday.

The clash occurred in the tribal region of South Waziristan, an area known for being a safe haven for militants.

"During the intense fire exchange, four brave sons of soil... having fought gallantly, embraced Shahadat (martyrdom)," the military statement said, before confirming the deaths of five militants.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif's office released a statement, expressing "grief and sorrow" over the deaths of the soldiers.

"Our war against terrorists will continue until the complete elimination of terrorism from the country," the prime minister's statement said.

Uptick in militant attacks

The clash near the Afghan border comes after ten Pakistani police officers were killed in an attack last month on a security checkpoint. The attack was claimed by the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), the country's home-grown Taliban group.

Pakistan has been battling a resurgent militancy in its western regions since 2021 when the Taliban returned to power in Afghanistan. 

Islamabad accuses the Taliban of failing to root out the militants. 

The TTP has been attacking Pakistan and its forces for years in a bid to overthrow the government. The group has accelerated attacks since last year after it withdrew from a cease-fire with the government, accusing Islamabad of violating the truce.

jsi/rmt (AFP, AP, Reuters)