PESHAWAR, Pakistan (AP) — Pakistani security forces raided two hideouts of the Pakistani Taliban near the Afghan border in the past two days, triggering fierce clashes that killed 12 soldiers and 35 militants, the military said Saturday.

The death toll underscores the struggles Pakistan faces as it tries to rein in resurging militant groups. The military said 22 militants were killed in the first raid in Bajaur, a district in northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.

Thirteen more were killed in a separate operation in South Waziristan district, the military said. The statement said that the 12 soldiers, “having fought gallantly, paid the ultimate sacrifice and embraced martyrdom” in South Waziristan.

The militants are using Afghan soil to stage attacks in Pakistan, the military said, u

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