The Pakistan army said on Thursday that four of its soldiers were killed in a firefight with militants near the northwestern border with Afghanistan.

The exchange of fire occurred in the tribal region of South Waziristan, which is situated near Afghanistan. Pakistan has been battling a resurgent militancy in its western regions since 2021 when the Taliban returned to power in Afghanistan.

The authorities in Lahore, home to 13 million people and the country’s second-biggest city, have told half the work force to stay home.

In the Punjab region of Pakistan, record-high air pollution levels triggered hospitalizations and school closures, as cities remain shrouded in a thick, toxic smog.