2 Pakistani soldiers and 5 insurgents are killed in a shootout on the border with Afghanistan

QUETTA, Pakistan (AP) — Officials say a group of Pakistani Taliban ambushed Pakistani troops during an operation against insurgents on the border with Afghanistan, triggering a shootout that killed an army major, a junior officer and five militants. The shootout happened in the district Zhob in Baluchistan province. Pakistani Taliban in a statement claimed responsibility for attacking the troops. The Pakistani Taliban are known as Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan or TTP, and are a separate group but allied with the Afghan Taliban, who in August 2021 seized Afghanistan. The Taliban takeover of Afghanistan has emboldened the Pakistani Taliban, who have stepped up attacks against police and troops across the country, including Baluchistan.