April 18, 2024
ISLAMABAD – Seven terrorists were killed while trying to infiltrate the Afghan-Pakistan border in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s North Waziristan district, the military’s media wing said on Wednesday.
A statement from the Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) said that the movement of the seven-member group was detected on Tuesday by security forces in the general area of Spinkai, Ghulam Khan.
“The infiltrators were surrounded, effectively engaged and after an intense fire exchange, all seven territories were sent to hell. A large quantity of weapons, ammunition and explosives was also recovered,” the ISPR said.
It added that Pakistan had consistently been asking the Afghan Taliban government to ensure effective border management on its side of the border.
The ISPR said that Afghan authorities were expected to fulfil their obligations and “deny the use of Afghan soil by terrorists for perpetuating acts of terrorism against Pakistan.
“Security forces of Pakistan are determined and remain committed to securing its borders and eliminating the menace of terrorism from the country.”
A day ago, the military leadership was told that terrorists having sanctuaries in Afghanistan were “acting as proxies” against Pakistan and its economic interests, especially the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor.
Last month, fierce clashes had erupted between the two countries along the border, resulting in the martyrdom of one officer and injuries to three soldiers after Pakistan conducted air strikes inside Afghanistan using jets and unmanned drones to target militants linked to the Hafiz Gul Bahadur group.
Afghan government spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid said Pakistani aircraft had carried out airstrikes in Paktika and Khost provinces along the border, killing eight people.
The ISPR had said that there was “clear evidence of involvement of terrorists from Afghanistan” in the Zhob Garrison attack in July 2023. It had added that “TTP (Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan) terrorists armed with the latest American weapons attacked two army check posts in Chitral” in September last year.
The military’s media wing had said that the November attack on Mianwali Air Base was “also planned by the terrorists taking refuge in Afghanistan”. It said that “terrorists from Afghanistan used night vision goggles and foreign weapons” in the Dera Ismail Khan attacks in December.
“There is clear evidence of the involvement of TTP terrorists who took refuge in Afghanistan in the terrorist incident in Tank on Dec 15, 2023,” the ISPR stated.
The statement also said terrorists from Afghanistan were also involved in the Peshawar Police Lines blast in January 2023, which claimed more than 80 lives.