Pakistani Taliban claims deadly raid near Afghan border, killing 16 soldiers

The Pakistani Taliban claimed responsibility for a bold overnight raid on a military outpost near the Afghan border on December 21, an assault that intelligence officials reported killed 16 soldiers and critically injured five others.

The siege began just after midnight and lasted about two hours, during which approximately 30 militants attacked the mountainous outpost from three directions, Caliber.Az reports citing foreign media.

"Sixteen soldiers were martyred and five were critically injured in the assault," the official stated. "The militants set fire to the wireless communication equipment, documents and other items present at the checkpoint."

A second intelligence official, also speaking anonymously, confirmed the death toll and the injuries sustained in the attack, which took place in the Makeen area of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, roughly 40 kilometers from the Afghan border.

The Pakistani Taliban, also known as Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), issued a statement claiming responsibility for the raid, describing it as "retaliation for the martyrdom of our senior commanders."

The group also claimed to have seized a large cache of military equipment, including machine guns and a night vision device.

Pakistan's military has not yet commented on the incident.

This attack highlights the resurgence of militant violence in Pakistan's western border regions, which has intensified since the Taliban's return to power in Afghanistan in 2021. Last year, Pakistan experienced its highest level of casualties in six years, with more than 1,500 civilians, security forces, and militants killed, according to the Islamabad-based Center for Research and Security Studies.

The raid on December 21 is being described as "the most dangerous assault in this region this year" by the first intelligence official.

The surge in attacks has strained relations between Islamabad and Kabul, contributing to Pakistan's decision last year to expel hundreds of thousands of undocumented Afghan migrants, citing security concerns as one of the main reasons.

By Vafa Guliyeva