Pakistani security forces kill six militants in two shootouts near the Afghan border

PESHAWAR, Pakistan (AP) — Pakistani security forces acting on intelligence faced off with militants in two separate shootouts in the restive northwest bordering Afghanistan, killing six insurgents, the military said on Monday.

A militant commander was killed in the first overnight raid in North Waziristan, a district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, the military said in a statement.

Five other insurgents were killed in the second raid in the nearby district of South Waziristan when a group of Pakistani Taliban tried to sneak into Pakistan from Afghanistan, the statement said. Three militants were also wounded.

The military also said Pakistan had consistently been asking the Afghan Taliban government to ensure effective border management.

Islamabad often accuses Kabul of turning a blind eye to militants operating near the frontier, which the Afghan authorities deny.

Pakistan has witnessed a surge in violence, mostly blamed on the Pakistani Taliban, who are known as Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan or TTP. It is a separate group but allied with the Afghan Taliban, who seized power in Afghanistan in 2021. Many TTP leaders and fighters have found sanctuary in Afghanistan since then.