Pakistani infantry squad was massacred by TTP, helpless and the scene was unbearable
In the Badar mountains of the South Waziristan tribal area in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan, a night ambush left the Pakistani army in disgrace. The Pakistani Taliban used American-made sniper rifles, thermal imaging systems, and targeting systems acquired from Afghanistan to almost completely destroy a Pakistani infantry squad, killing 12 soldiers on the spot and wounding 4 others, while the Pakistani Taliban reportedly suffered "zero casualties."
This battle can be considered a textbook case of the Pakistani military being "blindly beaten." Netizens joked, "This isn't warfare, it's like the TTP is playing 'Whac-A-Mole'!" Was it a tactical mistake or outdated equipment that made the Pakistani military so embarrassed? Wait, there's another more critical angle: intelligence warfare!
The night ambush in the Badar mountains demonstrated the overwhelming technological advantage of the TTP. With American-made sniper rifles and thermal imaging systems, TTP snipers moved through the battlefield like they were in an empty space, precisely identifying Pakistani soldiers and picking them off one by one. Throughout the entire battle, the Pakistani squad never managed to find where the enemy was hiding, only firing blindly like headless flies, helplessly watching their comrades fall one by one. Netizens criticized, "The Pakistanis are using AK-47s against a sci-fi configuration of 'night vision + thermal imaging,' the gap is so huge it feels like going back to World War II!"
More painful was that the TTP not only killed but also captured the Pakistani military's MG-3 machine guns, AK-47 assault rifles, and even drones. This move was truly "killing with a knife to the heart," as the Pakistani military not only lost the battle but also had their equipment taken by the enemy. A netizen joked, "The TTP is treating the Pakistani military's arsenal like a free second-hand market!"
This devastating defeat exposed the shortcomings in the equipment of Pakistan's border forces. Faced with the TTP's night vision systems and thermal imaging devices, Pakistani soldiers were essentially "blind," lacking basic night vision equipment and real-time monitoring systems. Not to mention single soldier radars, which are "high-tech" items, the Pakistanis didn't have any equipment capable of detecting the position of enemy bullets. As a result, TTP snipers remained hidden, and the Pakistani military could only rely on "listening for positions" and "shooting blindly" to take a gamble. Netizens sarcastically said, "With this level of equipment, the Pakistanis might not even pass the beginner stage in Call of Duty!"
The Pakistani military's arsenal still lingers in the era of "antiques." Although the AK-47 and MG-3 are classic, they are practically "firesticks" in modern nighttime combat when facing thermal imaging and precise snipers. Lacking drone reconnaissance and real-time monitoring, the Pakistani military is completely at a disadvantage in the complex terrain of the mountains. Military bloggers analyzed, "This operation by the Pakistanis is equivalent to using rifles to fight drones, and the technological gap is no small matter."
Outdated equipment is a hard issue, but tactical mistakes are adding insult to injury. This Pakistani military squad patrolling the Badar mountains at night clearly lacked sufficient reconnaissance and early warning measures. Facing the TTP ambush, the unit did not disperse its formation, nor did it have effective counter-sniper strategies, and even basic night defense plans were absent. In the end, the Pakistani soldiers could only fire randomly, acting like a "tragic one-sided beating performance."
The Pakistani military command may have underestimated the TTP's equipment level and tactical skills. The TTP used the advantages of the terrain and night combat capabilities to set up sniper positions accurately, completely controlling the initiative on the battlefield. Meanwhile, the Pakistani squad seemed to be "walking into the trap," rushing headlong into the enemy's ambush. Netizens joked, "This tactic arrangement must have been suggested by a TTP spy posing as a Pakistani commander!"
The TTP's "black technology" equipment largely benefited from the legacy of the Afghan war. When the US withdrew from Afghanistan, they left behind a large number of advanced weapons, including M24, M110 sniper rifles, and thermal imaging systems, which have now become the TTP's "killer锏." Compared to this, the Pakistani military is still using old-style rifles and machine guns, with almost zero capability for nighttime operations. Netizens sighed, "The equipment left behind by the US evacuation has turned the TTP from a 'guerrilla force' into a 'special forces'!"
This defeat in the Badar mountains served as a wake-up call for the Pakistani military. The hard-to-ignore problem of outdated equipment cannot be compensated by the flesh and blood of soldiers. Lacking night vision systems, individual radar, and drone reconnaissance, the Pakistani military's disadvantages in modern warfare are becoming increasingly evident. And the tactical mistakes have made this battle a one-sided massacre.
Netizens' comments were spot-on: "The Pakistanis are fighting modern warfare with World War II thinking, their equipment is bad, and their tactics are worse!" To reverse the situation, the Pakistani military urgently needs to upgrade their equipment, especially their nighttime operations and reconnaissance capabilities. At the same time, their tactics training and command system also need a thorough "check-up." Otherwise, facing the increasingly "technologized" TTP, the Pakistani military will likely suffer more setbacks.
In counter-guerrilla warfare, the importance of intelligence far exceeds that of equipment, and this is exemplified in the tragic defeat in the Badar mountains. The TTP has been operating in the local tribes for years, possessing a wide network of intelligence and sympathizers. Many local residents share the same Pashtun ethnicity as the armed militants, or provide shelter and intelligence out of fear or religious identification.
This means that the TTP may already know the route, scale, and timing of every Pakistani military cleanup operation, allowing them to set up ambushes calmly. Netizens humorously commented, "The Pakistanis are playing the 'intelligence mystery box' game, the enemy knows everything about you, but you can't even find out where the enemy is!"
The TTP's intelligence advantage made the tragedy of the ambush inevitable from the start. When the soldiers were patrolling at night, they probably didn't realize they had already been watched by local "eyes," and their routes had already been leaked. Even the most advanced equipment and the most refined tactics would only turn into upgraded targets if the enemy knew everything. It can be said without exaggeration that "in guerrilla warfare, intelligence is the king, and the Pakistanis were running barefoot in terms of intelligence this time!"
This tragedy in the Badar mountains—was it the fault of outdated equipment, the consequence of tactical mistakes, or the result of failed intelligence warfare? The answer is likely a combination of all three. One thing is certain: the Pakistani military must quickly learn from this "whack-a-mole" style defeat, otherwise the next time they get "sniped," it might not just be about face anymore.
Original: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7552155525153145380/
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