Dozens of Pakistani troops, terrorists dead in shootouts at Afghan border

Pakistan's security forces have been conducting several raids in the country's volatile northwest, a former stronghold of the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) when shootouts ensued leaving seven soldiers and 23 terrorists dead, the army said.

The first exchange of fire occurred overnight on the outskirts of Peshawar, the capital of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, killing six terrorists and two army officers who "embraced martyrdom," according to a statement by Pakistan's military on Monday.

A second shootout happened during another security operation on Monday in the district of Tank, leaving 10 terrorists dead, the statement said, adding that five soldiers and seven terrorists were also killed during a separate fire exchange in the district of Khyber.

The military provided no further details, but previous operations in the area targeted members of the TTP who have started regrouping in the northwestern region in recent years.

The TTP are a separate group but allies of the Afghan Taliban, which seized power in Afghanistan in 2021 as the US withdrew from the country.

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