Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) on Wednesday (6 September) launched a “large-scale” military offensive against the Pakistani army in the Chitral district of Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. The major assault on the Pakistani army, which TTP has reportedly named ‘Operation Malakand’, has attacked several army posts in which several Pakistani soldiers have been killed or injured. Additionally, the TTP terrorists have also claimed that they have captured several villages in the area.
Tehrek-e Taliban #Pakistan claims to have captured 2 villages in Chitral's Bamboret. #TTP calls it Operation Malakand & claims to have seized army's weapons & check posts in Janjeriat Koh area killing several soldiers.
— Bashir Ahmad Gwakh (@bashirgwakh) September 6, 2023
The attack began in the early hours of the day, a TTP commander told The Khorasan Diary over the telephone. He said, “An operation in the Chitral district has been launched by the TTP and various villages have been captured. It started at 4 AM (Pakistan time) this morning. We will share pictures. Currently, we are having poor internet issues.”
Speaking with The Khorasan Dairy a senior Pakistani security official rejected the claims made by the TTP and said that no areas have been captured by the terror outfit.
Notably, the Khorasan Diary claims to be a non-partisan platform, one that provides real-time information and analysis.
In a statement to local media, TTP spokesman Muhammad Khurasani asked the local citizens to remain calm as their “war” was against the Pakistani army which he referred to as “usurping” and “oppressive” security agencies. It is worth noting that today Pakistan is marking its Defence Day.
Khurasani said, “We want to say to the people of Chitral that you should remain calm. No harm will come to you. Our war is against usurping and oppressive security agencies.”
Meanwhile, various unconfirmed videos have surfaced online on X (formerly Twitter) in which it is being claimed that the Pakistani SSG commands have been called in the Chitral area to fight 500 TTP terrorists who have captured a few villages.
🚨 After several unsuccessful attempts, the Pakistan Army has called its SSG commandos into Chitral, where around 500 TTP fighters have captured several villages and attacked Pakistan Army posts in the area. pic.twitter.com/ShM0ix7sAo
— OSINT Updates (@OsintUpdates) September 6, 2023
Several social media handles including prominent journalists having expertise in Pakistani affairs have claimed that clashes took place between Pakistani forces and TTP along the Durand Line. This resulted in the closure of the Torkham border crossing.
Pakistan under attack on Pak Defense day. TTP have killed 6/more Pakistani soldiers, claim to have captured 2 villages in Chitral district. There r sites here dating back to Vedic period, btw
— Smita Prakash (@smitaprakash) September 6, 2023
Also reports of a former chief of PAF having been attacked by gunmen in Islamabad.…
While the Pakistani army has denied that it has sustained any casualty, TTP terrorists have claimed that they have killed 6 Pakistani soldiers.
Update: Speaking to @Mashaalradio, #Chitral Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Ali confirmed clashes saying roads to Kailash are shut down. However, he said that only 3 soldiers are injured and no one is killed. TTP claims to have killed 6 #Pakistan soldiers. https://t.co/y2bR1vGhZT
— Bashir Ahmad Gwakh (@bashirgwakh) September 6, 2023
Interestingly, the Pakistani media has maintained a strategic silence and for obvious reasons, it has not covered TTP’s major offensive against the Pakistani army.
It is important to note that the TTP which is also known as Pakistan Taliban had declared an all-out war against the Pakistani military in November 2022. It vowed to defeat the Pakistani army and establish Sharia laws in Pakistan, just like the Afghan Taliban did in Kabul.
In the recent past, the Pakistani army and establishment-sponsored terror industry have come back to haunt it. It has been hit by a wave of terrorist activities carried out by the terror outfits that they have been nurturing for decades.
As per several UN reports, TTP is said to be working closely with Al-Qaida and it is being blamed for several deadly attacks across Pakistan.
Earlier, on the 2nd of September, a Pakistan Army Major and a soldier were killed in a gunbattle with TTP. The Pakistani army suffered these casualties during an intelligence-based operation in the northwest tribal district bordering Afghanistan.
Additionally, two days earlier, nine Pakistani soldiers were reportedly killed in a suicide attack by the TTP in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.
