Pakistan said Saturday that counterterrorism operations in two volatile northwestern districts resulted in the deaths of four soldiers, including an officer, and 15 insurgents during the ensuing clashes.
A military statement said the deadly violence erupted when its forces carried out “intelligence-based” raids on militant locations in Dera Ismail Khan and North Waziristan, which borders Afghanistan.
The statement identified the slain militants as “khwarij,” a term employed by the government for individuals affiliated with the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan, or TTP, a globally recognized terrorist organization.
Local security sources reported that the soldier fatalities occurred during clashes in the Waziristan area.
The official claims about militant casualties could not be verified by independent sources.
The TTP did not comment on the reported clashes in the districts, where the militant group routinely attacks security forces and their installations.
