Pakistan: Security forces raid militant hideouts in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province April 7

Event

Pakistani security forces raided two militant hideouts in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province on Tuesday, April 7, killing seven suspected militants. The raids took place in the districts of North Waziristan and Mohmand. A military spokesperson stated that troops seized a cache of weapons from both militant hideouts. It is not clear what militant group was targeted in the raids and the military did not immediately provide further details.

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, Afghan Taliban, and other Islamist militant groups continue to pose a threat throughout the country despite continued army offensives to push them from their northwestern strongholds near the Afghan border.

Advice

Individuals in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, and in Pakistan more generally, are advised to remain vigilant at all times and report any suspicious objects or behavior 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.