Soldiers, civilians killed in terror attacks in northwestern Pakistan

At least 11 people, including three Pakistani soldiers, have been killed in two separate terror attacks in northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, officials have said.

According to the Pakistan army, three of its soldiers were killed in a cross-border attack from Afghanistan in the Kurram district near the Afghan border on Tuesday.

"Terrorists from inside Afghanistan across the international border, opened fire on Pakistani troops in general area Kharlachi, Kurram district. Pakistan army troops responded in a befitting manner. As per credible intelligence reports...terrorists suffered heavy casualties," the Pakistan army’s media wing said in a statement.

During the exchange of fire, three soldiers lost their lives.

Attacks on the Pakistan army and police have increased in border areas in recent days despite an open-ended cease-fire between the Pakistani security forces and the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), a combination of several militant groups operating in Pakistan.

Formally established in June 2007, the TTP has been involved in numerous attacks, including suicide bombings, inside Pakistan.

The network later stepped up subversive activities in North Waziristan — once dubbed the heartland of militancy — following an army onslaught on South Waziristan in 2010.

Another large-scale army operation in 2014 pushed the TTP to neighbouring Afghanistan. Islamabad claims the terrorist network has now set up bases across the border to attack Pakistani security forces.

READ MORE: Suicide bombing kills soldiers in Pakistan's tribal northwest

Eight killed in Swat

In another incident, at least eight people, including a key member of the peace committee, were killed in a roadside bomb blast in the scenic valley of Swat late Tuesday.

“A remote-controlled bomb exploded near the vehicle of Idrees Khan, a member of the Peace Committee in Bara Bandai, and eight people, including Khan and two security personnel, were killed,” Zahid Marwat, a district police officer of Swat, said in a statement.

No militant group claimed responsibility for the attack.

Swat, a tourist spot in Pakistan, and other parts of the Malakand Division were once a stronghold of TTP, but the Pakistan army launched a full-scale military operation against the terrorist group in 2009 and announced its successful completion in 2018.

READ MORE: Local elder among several people killed in northwestern Pakistan blast