Pakistan Army has eliminated 45 to 50 militants belonging to Indian proxy “Fitna al-Khawarij” while thwarting an infiltration attempt in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa amid border tensions with Afghanistan, security sources told Geo News on Thursday.
The group of militants were trying to infiltrate Pakistan’s border while taking advantage of the ceasefire between Pakistan and Afghanistan.
Several khawarij were injured in the military action conducted under an intelligence-based operation (IBO) in Mohmand district, the sources added.
Meanwhile, security personnel cordoned off the area and commenced a clearance operation. The exchange of fire between the security forces and militants continued for several hours.
Prior to this operation, security forces killed 34 terrorists in three IBOs in KP’s North Waziristan, South Waziristan, and Bannu districts from October 13 to 15, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said earlier today.
“Sanitisation operations are being conducted to eliminate any other Indian-sponsored terrorist found in the area as relentless counterterrorism campaign under vision ‘Azm-e-Istehkam’ (as approved by federal apex committee on National Action Plan) by security forces and law enforcement agencies of Pakistan will continue at full pace to wipe out menace of foreign-sponsored and supported terrorism from the country,” the military’s media wing said.
Islamabad-Kabul escalation
The recent operations come amid escalation between Islamabad and Kabul, following the Afghan regime’s reluctance to act against terrorist groups operating from Afghan soil amid a surge in terrorist attacks in Pakistan.
Following cross-border attacks, the Pakistani Armed Forces carried out precision strikes against key Taliban positions in Afghanistan’s Kandahar province, successfully destroying multiple strongholds in response to recent aggression.
A day ago, Pakistan and Afghanistan agreed to a temporary 48-hour ceasefire at the request of the Afghan Taliban regime following days of border clashes.
Since Taliban rulers returned to Afghanistan in 2021, Pakistan has witnessed a surge in cross-border terror incidents, particularly in the bordering provinces of KP and Balochistan.
The two nations share a porous border spanning around 2,500 kilometres with several crossing points, which hold significance as a key element of regional trade and relations between the people across both sides of the border.
However, the issue of terrorism remains a key issue for Pakistan, which has urged Afghanistan to prevent its soil from being used by proscribed groups such as the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) to carry out attacks inside the former’s territory.
Islamabad’s reservations have also been confirmed by a report submitted to the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) by the Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team, which has revealed a nexus between Kabul and the TTP, with the former providing logistical, operational, and financial support to the latter. –Agencies
