The Pakistani military launched drone strikes in northern Pakistan on Saturday, killing 11 people. The operation followed a Taliban attack that killed seven soldiers the previous day, police sources reported.
Drone strikes and civilian casualties
A senior police officer, speaking anonymously, said the military carried out three drone strikes on suspected Pakistani Taliban hideouts in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province on Friday night. The province, bordering Afghanistan, has seen increasing violence in recent months.
“We confirmed this morning that two women and three children were among the casualties,” the officer said.
Local residents protested by placing the victims’ bodies on the road, claiming they were innocent civilians.
Another police official said authorities were investigating whether Taliban fighters were present at the targeted locations. “It is too early to confirm if the affected areas were civilian spaces or Taliban shelters,” he added.
Rising tensions and security operations
In another incident, attacks along the Afghan border killed at least eight soldiers and a civilian. Seven soldiers died during a security operation against armed Taliban fighters in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. According to police sources, the militants hid in a house and fired on security forces.
The army used combat helicopters in the prolonged exchange, killing eight Taliban fighters and injuring six soldiers, the source said. Further south in Balochistan, a bomb attached to a motorbike exploded, killing a soldier and a civilian, police officer Mohsin Ali confirmed.
Unrest in Balochistan and political tensions
A suicide bombing near a rally organised by the Balochistan National Party (BNP) in Mastung district injured at least six people. The BNP claimed the attack was an attempt to suppress their demonstration against the government.
Police arrested over 250 BNP activists during a peaceful march to Quetta. The protesters opposed the alleged illegal detention of Baloch Yakjehti Committee leaders and activists. Local media reported that the arrests occurred near Mastung.
TTP ceasefire and ongoing drone strikes threats
Later in the day, the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) announced a ceasefire for Eid-ul-Fitr, stating that it would suspend all operations during the festival. The announcement followed heavy losses suffered by the group during an intelligence-based operation in the Mardan district of KP province. The TTP has declared similar ceasefires during religious occasions in the past.
The group’s spokesperson, Muhammad Khorasani, issued a brief statement confirming the ceasefire: “Announcement of ceasefire during Eid Al Fitr.”
Earlier in March, the TTP launched a “spring campaign” against security forces, threatening ambushes, targeted attacks, and suicide bombings. The group has since claimed responsibility for around 100 attacks in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Ongoing security concerns
Since January, over 190 people, mostly security personnel, have died in attacks linked to armed groups in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, according to an AFP tally.
At the start of March, the Pakistani military urged the Afghan government to prevent cross-border attacks. It asserted its right to take necessary measures to counter security threats from Afghanistan.
