A shootout on Pakistan’s frontier with Afghanistan kills 5 militants and 3 Pakistani soldiers

PESHAWAR, Pakistan (AP) — Pakistani security forces killed five militants in a remote northwestern area on Monday when they tried to sneak in from neighboring Afghanistan, the military said.

Three soldiers were also killed in the exchange of fire in Bajur district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.

Pakistan has long urged Afghanistan to ensure effective border management. Islamabad often accuses Kabul of turning a blind eye to militants operating near the frontier, which the Afghan Taliban government denies.

Pakistan has witnessed a surge in violence in recent years, mostly blamed on the outlawed Pakistani Taliban, known as Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan. The group is allied with the Afghan Taliban, who seized power in Afghanistan in August 2021.

Many TTP leaders and fighters have found sanctuary in Afghanistan since then.

The military’s statement did not say whether the militants in Monday’s shootout were with the TTP.