Pakistan army says 13 militants killed in northwest operations near Afghan border

Pakistan’s army said Thursday it killed 13 militants in two separate operations in the country’s northwest area near the Afghanistan border.

In Mohmand district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, security forces detected the movement of a group attempting to infiltrate from across the Pakistan-Afghanistan border and engaged them, killing eight militants, the military said in a statement.

Five more militants were killed in North Waziristan district while attempting to cross the same border, it added.

“These engagements once again substantiate Pakistan’s repeated stance regarding the Afghan Taliban regime’s failure to ensure effective border management on their side,” the military said, urging Kabul to meet its obligations and prevent Afghan territory from being used against Pakistan.

There was no immediate response from the Afghan government to the latest allegations.

Pakistan has seen an increase in militant attacks in recent years, which it says are linked to Afghanistan-based Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). Kabul has denied the accusations.