KABUL: The Pakistan Army has confirmed that at least 19 soldiers and 35 members of the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) were killed in two separate clashes in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.
Al Jazeera reported based on a statement from Pakistan’s Ministry of Defense on Saturday night, that 12 soldiers and 22 TTP members were killed in a clash in the Bajaur district, while 7 soldiers and 13 additional TTP members died in another confrontation in South Waziristan.
Reuters noted that the first clash occurred in the “Badr” area of Bajaur when a convoy of Pakistani soldiers was targeted by TTP fighters.
The second clash took place in the “Lour” area of South Waziristan following a Pakistan Army attack on a TTP hideout.
The Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan has claimed responsibility for the attacks on Pakistani soldiers, asserting that they captured a significant amount of weapons and drones from the army during these encounters.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is considered an unstable region, where TTP members have a strong presence and frequently organize deadly attacks against the country’s military.