31 Aug 2020 | 04:47 AM UTC
Pakistan: Militants kill soldiers during search operation in South Waziristan (Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province) August 30
Militants kill three soldiers and injure four others during a search operation in South Waziristan (Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province) on August 30; further attacks targeting security personnel likely over the near term
Event
Militants killed three soldiers after opening fire on them during a search operation in South Waziristan (Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province) on Sunday, August 30. Four other soldiers were injured in the attack. No group immediately claimed responsibility for the attack, and it is not clear whether any militants were killed or wounded.
Similar incidents are to be expected in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province over the near term.
Context
Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), Al-Qai'da, Islamic State (IS) affiliates, Jamaat-ul-Ahrar, the Afghan Taliban, and other Islamist militant groups continue to pose a threat in Pakistan's western border region despite continued military operations aimed at improving security in the area.
Advice
Individuals in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, and in Pakistan more generally, are advised to remain vigilant at all times and report any suspicious activity to the relevant authorities.
Due to a high threat from terrorism, as well as kidnapping and sectarian violence, some Western governments advise their citizens to reconsider travel to the country as foreign nationals, and Westerners, in particular, may be directly targeted.
