In a deadly overnight operation, Pakistani security forces launched a raid on a suspected Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) hideout in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), resulting in a fierce shootout that left two police officers and four militants dead. The incident occurred in the Rawalakot district and marks an unusual extension of Pakistan’s anti-TTP operations into the contested Kashmir region.
Abdul Jabbar, the police chief of PoK, confirmed the fatalities and identified the deceased militants as members of the TTP, a group allied with the Afghan Taliban. Jabbar alleged that the group was attempting to establish a base in PoK for future operations and accused it of acting as a proxy for India. New Delhi has not responded to the claims.
Operations targeting TTP fighters are common in Pakistan’s northwest tribal areas but are seldom conducted in PoK. The militant group, formed in 2007, has repeatedly targeted Pakistani military and civilian institutions, aiming to impose a hardline Islamist regime and challenge state authority.
Since the Afghan Taliban’s return to power in 2021, the TTP has been emboldened, reportedly finding safe haven in Afghanistan. Despite Pakistan’s initial support for the Taliban in Kabul, relations have soured as Islamabad struggles to contain cross-border militancy. The Pakistani government has urged Afghanistan’s Taliban rulers to rein in the TTP, but progress has been limited.
This latest encounter in PoK underscores the growing reach of the TTP and the increasingly complex security landscape Pakistan faces, with internal insurgencies now spilling into sensitive and disputed territories.
