Pakistan says soldiers kill 33 fighters near Afghan border

Pakistani security forces have killed 33 fighters who tried to cross into the southwestern province of Balochistan from neighbouring Afghanistan, the military says, describing them as “Indian-sponsored” separatists.

Pakistan’s military said in a statement on Friday that an overnight operation took place in the Zhob district of Balochistan province, where soldiers spotted “Khwarij”, a phrase the government uses for Pakistan Taliban fighters.

The fighters were intercepted and engaged with “precise” fire, the statement said, adding that weapons, ammunition and explosives were recovered.

Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif praised the security forces for what he called a successful operation.

“Our brave soldiers risked their lives to foil this infiltration attempt and crushed the nefarious designs of the terrorists,” the prime minister was quoted by the Associated Press of Pakistan as saying.

Separatist fighters demanding mineral-rich Balochistan receive a bigger share of profits from its resources have stepped up attacks in recent months, particularly on Pakistan’s military, which has launched an intelligence-based offensive against them.

Pakistan often accuses the Taliban government in Afghanistan of turning a blind eye to fighters operating near their shared frontier. Kabul denies the charge.

The Pakistani military said on Friday that those killed had the backing of India although it offered no evidence to back up the allegation.

Pakistan and India often accuse each other of backing armed groups. New Delhi denies supporting fighters in Pakistan and has not commented on the latest incident.