Pakistan’s security forces conducted raids on two militant hideouts in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, triggering intense gun battles that left at least 11 people dead, including two soldiers and nine militants, the military reported.
The raids took place on Saturday in the Mohmand and Dera Ismail Khan districts, near the Afghanistan border. Local police confirmed that the fighters belonged to Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), also known as the Pakistani Taliban.
The TTP is an outlawed armed group, closely aligned with the Afghan Taliban, who regained power in Afghanistan in August 2021 following the withdrawal of U.S. and NATO troops. Many TTP leaders and fighters have reportedly found sanctuary in Afghanistan since then, further emboldening the group.
In a separate incident on Saturday, fighters ambushed security forces in Kurram district, another region bordering Afghanistan. Authorities have not yet confirmed casualties from this attack.
Sectarian Violence and Humanitarian Crisis in Kurram
The Kurram region has witnessed years of sectarian violence between Sunni and Shia Muslim communities, exacerbating insecurity. Pakistan’s military is conducting an ongoing operation in the area. Since November, key roads in Kurram have been blocked following sectarian clashes, creating severe food and medicine shortages and worsening the humanitarian crisis.
Bomb Attack in Peshawar
Also on Saturday, a bomb exploded outside a mosque in Peshawar, killing a prominent Muslim leader. Local police have launched an investigation, but no group has claimed responsibility for the attack so far.
Source: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/3/15/at-least-11-people-dead-in-pakistan-after-military-raids