Islamabad, Oct 2 (AP) Pakistani Taliban targeted security forces in a vehicle travelling near the Afghan border on Saturday, killing four soldiers and one policeman, the military said Saturday.

In a statement, they said the attack took place in the Spinwam area of North Waziristan, and that an operation was underway to strike back against the militants.

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Pakistani Taliban, known as TTP or Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, operate in the tribal belt bordering Afghanistan.

The group claimed responsibility in a statement, saying it had ambushed a “raiding party” in the area on Friday. The military did not specify when the attack took place.

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North Waziristan and other tribal regions were once militant safe havens, though less so after many government operations to clear the areas. Most groups operate on both sides of the porous border with Afghanistan, and strike against security forces sporadically. (AP)

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)