sparking fierce clashes that left at least 19 soldiers and 45 fighters dead, the military said. On Saturday, the army reported that 22 fighters were killed in Bajaur, a district in northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. Thirteen more were killed in a separate operation in South Waziristan district, it added. The statement said 12 soldiers, “having fought gallantly, paid the ultimate sacrifice and embraced martyrdom” in South Waziristan — underscoring the challenges Pakistan faces in curbing resurgent armed groups. In another clash in the Lower Dir area, seven soldiers and 10 rebel fighters were killed in a shootout after troops discovered a militant hideout, the army said in a separate statement.

The Pakistan Taliban, also known as Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), claimed responsibility for the attacks in a social media message. The group, which Islamabad says is based in Afghanistan, is separate from but closely allied with the ruling Taliban in Kabul. Pakistan’s military accused the TTP of using Afghan territory to stage attacks, urging the Taliban government “to uphold its responsibilities and deny use of its soil for terrorist activities against Pakistan.” The statement also described the slain fighters as “Khwarij,” a term the government uses for the TTP, and alleged they were backed by India — though no evidence was provided.

Pakistan has long accused India of supporting the TTP and separatist groups in Balochistan, accusations that New Delhi denies. There was no immediate comment from the Taliban in Kabul or from Indian officials. The country has faced a surge in armed attacks in recent years, most claimed by the TTP, which has grown bolder since the Afghan Taliban seized power in 2021. Many of its leaders and fighters are believed to have found refuge across the border. Saturday’s assault was one of the deadliest in months in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, a region once partly controlled by the TTP until a military offensive pushed them back in 2014.

For weeks, residents in several districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have reported seeing graffiti bearing the TTP’s name on buildings. Many fear a return to the group’s dominance during the peak of the U.S.-led “war on terror,” which spilled over from Afghanistan. A local government official recently told the AFP news agency that both the number of TTP fighters and attacks have increased. (Aljazeera)