Overnight military operation in Pakistani territory close to the Afghan border results in the death of 33 militants.
In a series of recent developments, Pakistan's military has reported several clashes with militants, raising concerns about regional stability and the complex relationship between the Pakistani Taliban (Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan, TTP) and Afghanistan.
Last month, troops in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa killed 54 Pakistani Taliban in what authorities described as the deadliest single-day clash for militants this year. The operation, which took place overnight, identified the militants as "Khwarij," a term for Pakistani Taliban. The Pakistani military also alleged that the killed militants had the backing of India, but provided no evidence. There was no immediate comment from New Delhi regarding the allegation.
Meanwhile, in Balochistan province, the Pakistani military reported killing 33 militants in an operation in the Zhob district. The government in Balochistan suspended mobile phone internet service until Aug. 31 for security reasons, following a surge in militant attacks, most claimed by the Pakistani Taliban.
The relationship between the Pakistani Taliban and Afghanistan has been complex since the Taliban took over Afghanistan in 2021. While the Afghan Taliban regime has struggled internally and faces threats from groups like the Islamic State-Khorasan Province (IS-KP), they have not fully eradicated or controlled TTP presence and activities within Afghanistan. Pakistan continues to worry about the TTP using Afghan territory as a base, contributing to security concerns and instability along the border.
The TTP, a militant group distinct from but ideologically aligned with the Afghan Taliban, has historically used Afghanistan’s porous border areas as a sanctuary for operations against Pakistan. Since 2021, the Afghan Taliban’s stewardship has neither completely neutralized the TTP presence nor allowed it to grow unchecked, resulting in a fragile and partly permissive environment for TTP in Afghanistan. This situation sustains Pakistan’s security anxieties and complicates regional stability efforts.
Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif praised the security forces for their successful operation, while officials say the insurgency has been largely quelled, but violence continues. The separatists in Balochistan, who demand independence from Pakistan's central government in Islamabad, have been responsible for targeting people selling national flags ahead of the holiday in recent years.
In a significant development, Pakistan's security forces are currently carrying out intelligence-based operations in northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. The ongoing diplomatic and strategic challenges in neighboring countries, with regional actors like China and Turkiye involved, indirectly affect TTP’s ability to operate across borders.
As the region grapples with these ongoing security challenges, it remains to be seen how the situation will evolve in the coming months.
[1] - https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/afghan-taliban-struggle-control-islamic-state-khorasan-2021-10-19/ [2] - https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/3/10/taliban-struggle-to-control-pakistani-taliban-amid-regional-pressure [3] - https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/china-turkey-seek-greater-influence-afghanistan-2022-03-08/ [4] - https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/3/10/taliban-struggle-to-control-pakistani-taliban-amid-regional-pressure
- The ongoing clashes between Pakistan's military and the Pakistani Taliban (TTP) have become a prominent topic in general news, raising questions about the political implications and potential consequences of war-and-conflicts in the region.
- The complex relationship between the Pakistani Taliban (TTP) and Afghanistan, as well as the ongoing challenges in neighboring countries, have made crime-and-justice matters, such as the Khwarij militants having alleged backing from India, a significant point of interest in regional politics.
