ISLAMABAD: Security forces foiled a suicide attack in Mir Ali, North Waziristan tribal district, on Friday, killing six militants in a swift counter-operation, security sources said.
According to the sources, militants attempted to target a security forces’ camp in Mir Ali. One attacker drove an explosives-laden vehicle into the camp’s boundary wall, triggering a powerful explosion.
One soldier was martyred and six others sustained injuries when the roof of a post collapsed during the incident, the sources said. After the blast, five more militants tried to breach the camp’s perimeter but were gunned down outside by security personnel in a prompt response.
Security officials added that during the past four days, 108 militants—reportedly sent by the Afghan Taliban—have been killed in various intelligence-based operations in the region.
The National Action Plan, officials reaffirmed that the people of Pakistan, along with the armed forces and security institutions, remain steadfast in defending the country until the last militant is eliminated.
From border clashes to proxy militancy
The recent border skirmishes and growing tensions between Pakistani forces and the Afghan Taliban have laid bare a profound military imbalance.
Lacking the conventional capability to challenge Pakistan’s military might directly, and facing mounting pressure on their border positions, the Afghan-based factions are increasingly expected to pivot their strategy.
Security analysts’ assessments suggest a focus will now intensify on asymmetric warfare: rather than outright border clashes, the focus is likely to be on covertly funding, arming, and fuelling internal militancy deep within Pakistan’s provinces.
This relies on proxy groups and sleeper cells to destabilise the country and divert Pakistan’s security focus from the border. This anticipated escalation of proxy warfare underscores a worrying new chapter in the regional conflict, demanding even greater vigilance and a sophisticated, multi-pronged counter-insurgency response.
On Thursday, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif made it clear that he expected Kabul to make the first move if it was serious about resolving the issue of cross-border terrorism through talks.
