Islamabad
In a series of attacks on Thursday, a roadside bomb and a mortar strike killed several people, including police officers and children, in Pakistan’s conflict-ridden regions.
A roadside bomb exploded near a security forces vehicle in North Waziristan, killing at least four police officers instantly and injuring several others, according to Pakistani security agencies. In a separate attack, two schoolchildren were killed when a mortar shell fired by insurgents landed near a road in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Tirah Valley.
The Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), which has been targeting security forces in the area, is suspected to be behind the attacks. However, no group has claimed responsibility so far. The TTP, which gained strength following the return of the Taliban to power in Afghanistan, has been regrouping along the Afghan-Pakistani border. The group has carried out multiple attacks on Pakistani security agencies since then.
In response, Pakistan’s armed forces have launched a counteroffensive in the region, targeting militant hideouts in South Waziristan and other tribal areas. Despite these efforts, militants continue to strike security forces in the region.
While the Afghan Taliban has called for peace talks, Pakistan has rejected this proposal, instead urging Kabul to halt its support for the TTP and other militant groups. The militants have also attacked Chinese nationals working on the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), raising concerns in Beijing about the safety of its citizens in Pakistan.
