Pakistani soldier, 12 militants killed in counterterrorism operation in northwest — army

ISLAMABAD: A Pakistani soldier and 12 militants were killed in a counterterrorism operation in the northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province, the Pakistan army said on Thursday, as it battles a surge in militancy across the country. 
Islamabad has frequently accused neighboring Afghanistan of sheltering and supporting militant groups that launch cross-border attacks amid a spike in militancy in its KP and Balochistan provinces. The Taliban government in Kabul says it does not allow Afghan soil to be used by militants, insisting Pakistan’s security issues are an internal matter for Islamabad.
“During intense fire exchange, Lance Naik Muhammad Ibrahim, having fought gallantly, paid the ultimate sacrifice and embraced shahadat,” the army’s media wing said in a statement about an intelligence operation it carried out in Hassan Khel in the North Waziristan District, neighboring Afghanistan.
Islamabad says it has consistently taken up the issue of cross-border attacks with the Taliban administration. The issue has also led to clashes between the border forces of the two countries on multiple occasions in recent months.
In December, the Afghan Taliban said bombardment by Pakistani military aircraft in Afghanistan’s eastern Paktika province had killed at least 46 people, most of whom were children and women. Just days later, the Afghan defense ministry said Taliban forces targeted “several points” in neighboring Pakistan, further straining tense ties.
Relations between the two countries have also soured since Pakistan launched a deportation drive in November 2023 against illegal aliens residing in the country. Though Pakistan insists the campaign does not only target Afghans but all those residing in Pakistan unlawfully, it has disproportionately hit Afghans, with at least 800,000 repatriated so far.