By Staff Reporter
ISLAMABAD: Pakistani security forces carried out two operations on Wednesday that resulted in the killing of seven militants, including six from Fitna al-Hindustan in the remote mountainous region of Balochistan, and one from the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan in the northwestern province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, officials said.
The strikes come amid a sharp escalation in cross-border tensions with Afghanistan, where forces recently conducted retaliatory airstrikes that killed more than 200 Afghan Taliban and affiliated militants. The clashes, which began earlier this month, have prompted both sides to agree to a ceasefire and plan talks in Istanbul later this week.
In the first operation, in the Dalbandin area of Chagai district in Balochistan, troops tracked a militant formation hiding in the mountains through aerial reconnaissance before launching a timely and precise assault. The raid killed all six members of Baloch militant group. “The operation completely dismantled the formation, reducing threats to forces and civilians,” security officials said.
Separately, in Bajaur district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, forces targeted hideouts and tunnels belonging to the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan. An intelligence-based raid on a cave in the Shahi Tangi forest led to an intense exchange of fire, during which one terrorist was killed. “Several others fled the area after suffering injuries during the exchange of fire,” officials added. Troops recovered weapons, explosive materials and communication equipment from the site.
The operations reflect Pakistan’s intensified efforts to combat a surge in terrorism that has plagued its border regions since the Afghan Taliban seized power in Kabul in 2021. Officials in Islamabad have repeatedly accused the Taliban government of failing to rein in groups like the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, which use Afghan territory as a base to launch incursions into Pakistan. “Tension heightened between the two neighbouring nations over cross-border terror incidents, with the Taliban regime reluctant to take decisive action against terrorist groups, launching attacks in Pakistan from the Afghan soil.
The friction boiled over on Oct. 12, when Taliban forces, backed by affiliated militant groups, attacked multiple Pakistani army posts along the border. In response, Pakistani troops mounted a fierce counteroffensive, killing more than 200 Afghan Taliban and militants, while 23 Pakistani soldiers were killed in the fighting. Pakistan followed up with “precision strikes” in Afghanistan’s Kandahar province and in Kabul, which officials said crushed multiple terrorist strongholds.
“Instead of addressing Pakistan’s concerns over such incidents, the Taliban forces, backed by their affiliated militant groups, attacked multiple Pakistan army posts on October 12,” officials said. The violence has strained relations between the two countries, which share a porous 1,600-mile border that has long been a conduit for militants and smugglers. In a bid to de-escalate, the two sides have agreed to a ceasefire.
Officials from Pakistan and Afghanistan are scheduled to meet in Istanbul, Turkey, on Oct. 25 to discuss the border clashes and broader security issues.The talks in Istanbul, hosted by Turkey, are seen as a critical step toward stabilising the region, though analysts caution that deep-seated mistrust could complicate negotiations. Pakistan has demanded concrete action against militant sanctuaries in Afghanistan, while the Taliban have called for an end to what they describe as Pakistani aggression.
Copyright © 2021 Independent Pakistan | All rights reserved
