Four soldiers, five militants killed in northwest Pakistan operation — military

In this file photo, taken on January 27, 2019, Pakistani army soldiers stand guard at a check point in Miran Shah, a town in North Waziristan, near the border between Pakistan and Afghanistan. (AFP/File)

• Security forces, militants traded fire in Karama area in South Waziristan, says military’s media wing
• Pakistani has suffered surge in militant attacks since November 2022 in areas bordering Afghanistan

ISLAMABAD: Four Pakistani soldiers and five militants were killed during a gunbattle in the country’s restive northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province, the army’s media wing said on Thursday, as Islamabad grapples with surging militancy.
The exchange of fire between security forces and militants took place in South Waziristan’s Karama area on Wednesday, the Inter-Services Public Relations, the army’s media wing, said in a statement.
The army said four Pakistani soldiers were killed during the exchange of fire. These included Naib Subedar Taib Shah, 38, Lance Naik Gulab Zaman, 30, Lance Naik Muzammil Mehmood, 30 and Lance Naik Habibullah, 28.
“Resultantly, five Khwarij were sent to hell due to effective engagement by own troops,” the ISPR said, referring to the term the military uses for the Pakistani Taliban militants.
The army said it was conducting a sanitization operation in the area to eliminate any other militants.
“Security Forces of Pakistan are determined to wipe out the menace of terrorism and such sacrifices of our brave soldiers further strengthen our resolve,” it concluded.
Pakistan has been witnessing a spike in militant violence in its northwestern and southwestern regions that border Afghanistan, particularly after the Pakistan Taliban or the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) called off its fragile truce with the government in Islamabad in November 2022.  
The militant group, which is said to have sanctuaries in neighboring Afghanistan, is separate from but a close ally of the Afghan Taliban. 
Ties between Islamabad and Kabul have been strained as the former accuses the latter of sheltering TTP militants. Afghanistan denies the allegations and has urged Pakistan to resolve its security challenges internally.