Pakistan Security Forces Kill 4 Key TTP Members, Foil Expansion Attempt in Kashmir
[Islamabad] Pakistani forces carried out a counterterrorism raid in Pakistan-administered Kashmir last week, killing four members of the banned Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) in the first operation of its kind in the region.
The raid took place in the Rawalakot district of Azad Kashmir, a disputed area claimed by both Pakistan and India. Two Pakistani security personnel were killed in the gunfight that followed.
During a press conference Thursday evening, regional police chief Abdul Jabbar confirmed the operation and said those killed were members of the Pakistani Taliban, which is aligned with the Afghan Taliban.
Give the gift of hope
We practice what we preach:
accurate, fearless journalism. But we can't do it alone.
- On the ground in Gaza, Syria, Israel, Egypt, Pakistan, and more
- Our program trained more than 100 journalists
- Calling out fake news and reporting real facts
- On the ground in Gaza
- Covering Israel, Syria, Lebanon
- More than 100 students
- Exposing fake news
Join us. Support The Media Line. Save democracy.
The fighters killed in the raid were reportedly working to establish a new TTP chapter in Azad Kashmir. According to Jabbar, the group had been planning to attack local security installations and was receiving direction from two key Taliban figures based in Afghanistan: Dr. Abdul Rauf and Ghazi Shahzad. He added that more than seven individuals linked to the group have been arrested over the past two months. Pakistan alleges that many TTP fighters are sheltering in Afghanistan, a claim consistently denied by the Afghan government.
Security officials believe the TTP was attempting to open a new front in this strategically sensitive region. Any expansion of the group’s presence in Azad Kashmir would raise serious alarms and further strain Pakistan’s internal security.
Jabbar also accused the group of operating with support from Indian intelligence services.
Since the Taliban’s return to power in Afghanistan in 2021, the TTP has intensified its insurgency within Pakistan, escalating attacks in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, including assaults on military convoys, police stations, and intelligence personnel.
Officials say the successful operation in Rawalakot demonstrates strong coordination between Pakistan’s intelligence and security services. They believe the swift action prevented the group from entrenching itself in the area and launching a new wave of violence.
Islamabad has reaffirmed its commitment to combating all forms of terrorism and preserving the country’s territorial integrity. Security officials emphasized that no group will be allowed to operate freely in any region, regardless of foreign backing. To reinforce this stance, Pakistan has deployed thousands of troops across sensitive zones in Azad Kashmir.
