By Staff Reporter
ISLAMABAD: Security forces killed 54 militants attempting to cross from Afghanistan in a major operation over two nights, the military said on Sunday, describing it as the deadliest single engagement in its anti-terrorism campaign.
The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the military’s media wing, said the operation occurred on the nights of April 25-26 and 26-27 in the Hassan Khel area of North Waziristan District, near the Pakistan-Afghanistan border.
“Own troops effectively engaged and thwarted their attempt to infiltrate,” the ISPR said in a statement. “As a result of precise and skillful engagement, all fifty four khawarij have been sent to hell.” The military refers Pakistan Taliban as khwarij.
A significant haul of weapons, ammunition, and explosives was recovered.
The ISPR said intelligence reports indicate that this group of khwarij was specifically infiltrating on behest of their “foreign masters” to undertake high profile terrorist activities inside Pakistan.
“The security forces demonstrated exceptional professionalism, vigilance & preparedness and prevented a potential catastrophe,” military said. This is the highest ever number of khwarij killed by our Security Forces in a single engagement during entire campaign against terrorism.”
The ISPR linked the timing of the infiltration attempt to recent accusations leveled by India against Pakistan. Tensions escalated between the nuclear-armed neighbors after an April 22 assault in the Indian occupied Kashmir that killed 26 people, marking the deadliest violence in the disputed Himalayan region in over two decades. India has accused Pakistan of involvement. Pakistan denied Indian allegations.
“Such actions by Fitna al Khwarij (FAK), at a time when India is leveling baseless accusations against Pakistan, clearly implies on whose cues FAK is operating,” the statement said “Such actions amount to treason and betrayal against the state and its citizens.”
Pakistan is also facing sustained militant attacks in its northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province in recent years by Pakistani Taliban after a ceasefire with the government unraveled in late 2022.
Pakistan says the Pakistani Taliban has found sanctuaries and has even been living openly in Afghanistan since the Taliban takeover in August 2021 as US and NATO troops were in the final stages of their pullout from the country after 20 years of war. It blames neighboring Afghanistan and rival India have provided logistical and ideological support to the group.
The military also referenced the National Security Committee (NSC), which had previously indicated that “distracting Pakistan’s security forces from their focus on the war against terror seems to be the strategic intent of India to allow a breathing space to FAK which is reeling from the onslaught of our Armed Forces resolute offensive against them”.
The statement said the security forces remain resolute and unwavering in their commitment “to defend the nation’s frontiers and to eradicate the menace of terrorism”.
“Such bold and decisive actions further strengthen our collective resolve and underscore that Pakistan is winning the war against terrorism, while achieving significant successes against terrorists.”
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