PESHAWAR, Pakistan — On Thursday, Pakistani security forces engaged in confrontations with militants in three distinct incidents in the troubled northwest region that borders Afghanistan, resulting in the deaths of 13 insurgents, according to military reports.

Military personnel successfully eliminated 11 militants during two separate operations in the North and South Waziristan districts, which are part of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. In an additional security operation conducted in Bannu, another district within Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, two more militants were killed.

During one of the altercations in North Waziristan, an army officer identified as Major Mohammad Awais lost his life while engaging with the insurgents. This region has previously been known as a stronghold for the Pakistani Taliban, an organization that has recently intensified its offensive actions against security forces.

The Pakistani Taliban, formally recognized as Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan, operates as a distinct entity but maintains connections with the Afghan Taliban, who regained control of Afghanistan in 2021 during the withdrawal of U.S. and NATO forces. The prevailing situation following the Taliban’s resurgence in Afghanistan has reportedly empowered the Pakistani Taliban, leading to a rising trend in their attacks.