ISLAMABAD (AP) — Militants attacked a military publish Friday in Pakistan’s restive northwest, bordering Afghanistan, triggering an intense shootout that killed a soldier, the navy stated. The Pakistani Taliban claimed accountability for the assault.
In response to a navy assertion, the predawn assault occurred in Bannu, a district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. It stated troops returned hearth, however it was unclear if the attackers suffered any casualties.
Of their declare of accountability, posted on Twitter, the Pakistani Taliban didn't present additional particulars.
Additionally Friday, Pakistani troops raided a militant hideout within the northwestern Miran Shah city, killing a militant and arresting two suspects, a separate navy assertion stated.
Though militants usually goal safety publish and troops routinely perform raids on militant hideouts, the newest violence comes a day after the Pakistani Taliban confirmed the killing over the weekend in Afghanistan of the group’s former spokesman.
The Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan, or TTP because the Pakistani Taliban are identified, vowed to avenge his killing. The Pakistani Taliban are an umbrella group and a separate group from the Afghan Taliban. In November, Pakistan introduced a month-long cease-fire with the TTP. The group has been behind quite a few assaults on safety forces and civilians over the past 14 years.
The cease-fire ended on Dec. 9 and since then, the group has resumed assaults, emboldened partly by the Taliban takeover of neighboring Afghanistan.