Pakistani security forces on Saturday morning successfully foiled a joint infiltration attempts by Fitna al Khawarij (Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan) and the Afghan Taliban through Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s (KP) Kurram district and North Waziristan regions.
According to reports, 25 Khawarij, in coordination with Afghan Taliban, initiated an unprovoked attack on Pakistani posts using heavy weaponry. They were met with a strong response from the Pakistani side, resulting in the killing of 15 infiltrators. Multiple others were wounded.
The operation compelled the Afghan Taliban to abandon six posts along the border, reports said, adding that no fatalities were reported on the Pakistan side but at least three paramilitary personnel were injured.
Pakistan has witnessed a spike in terrorist attacks since the Afghan Taliban-led administration took control in Kabul.
After repeatedly urging Taliban authorities in Kabul to not allow the use of Afghan soil for terrorism in Pakistan, Islamabad on Tuesday night launched an intelligence-based operation (IBO) targeting Khawarij camps in Afghanistan’s Paktika province.
Foreign Office (FO) spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch on Thursday confirmed that Pakistan had conducted the operations in border areas to protect the people of Pakistan from terrorist groups.
“Our security and law enforcement personnel conduct operations in border areas to protect the people of Pakistan from terrorist groups. These counterterrorism operations are carefully selected and based on accurate intelligence,” the FO spokesperson said in a statement.
The FO reiterated that there were “threats posed by terrorist elements to Pakistan and its citizens”.
This is Pakistan’s second airstrike in Afghanistan since March of this year, when similar attacks targeted Khawarij hideouts in the border region.
Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif, while addressing a cabinet meeting on Friday, also addressed the issue pertaining to cross-border terrorism. “We desire good ties with them [Kabul], but Fitna al Khawarij should be stopped from killing our innocent people [….] This is our red line,” he said.
Separately, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Director General (DG) Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, in a media briefing also said that the country was resolute in eliminating threats to its citizens.
“Networks operating from Afghan soil continue to target Pakistan, and we are resolute in eliminating them,” the chief of military’s media wing said. He added that Pakistan had fought a long war against terrorism and the same was still ongoing.
“Pakistan has rendered highly valued sacrifices in this fight,” Lt Gen Chaudhry said.