KARACHI:
Afghan Taliban border guards and terrorists from the outlawed Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) mounted unprovoked heavy weapon hearth on Pakistani border posts after safety forces thwarted two infiltration makes an attempt within the night time between December 27 and 28, sources mentioned on Saturday — the day a senior Taliban chief indicated that they’d proceed to shelter TTP terrorists, describing them as “company.”
“A gaggle of 20-25 ‘Khawarij’ tried to infiltrate Pakistan from two places in Kurram and North Waziristan districts of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (Ok-P) bordering Afghanistan, reportedly utilizing the border posts of Afghan Taliban,” the sources mentioned. Nevertheless, Pakistani safety forces thwarted the infiltration try, they added.
Within the morning of December 28, the Khawarij – a reputation given to the TTP terrorists – once more used the Afghan Taliban border posts to sneak into Pakistan, the sources mentioned. Within the second try, the Khawarij and Afghan Taliban collectively launched unprovoked heavy weapon hearth on the Pakistani posts at daybreak. Pakistan’s safety forces retaliated decisively, the sources added.
In response to verified stories, the Afghan aspect suffered heavy losses, with preliminary data indicating that greater than 15 Khawarij and Afghan Taliban border guards have been killed and a number of other others injured in the course of the retaliatory motion.
The Afghan Taliban have been pressured to desert six posts and flee, the sources mentioned, including that losses on the Afghan aspect might need elevated. On the Pakistani aspect, in the meantime, there have been no fatalities, and solely three personnel sustained minor accidents, in response to the sources.
The interim Afghan authorities has repeatedly been requested to not enable its territory for use by the TTP terrorists towards Pakistan. As an alternative of controlling these teams and neutralising their fighters, the Afghan Taliban proceed to shelter them, the sources mentioned. The “Khawarij” get pleasure from full freedom of motion in Afghanistan and are extensively utilizing Afghan soil for anti-Pakistan terrorist assaults.
The Afghan Taliban have at all times denied the existence of TTP fighters of their nation, claiming that no international terrorists are allowed to function and pose a risk to different nations from the Afghan soil. Nevertheless, on Friday, a senior minister within the interim Taliban authorities indicated that they supply refuge to anti-Pakistan terrorists.
“We should honour the Afghan nation’s dedication to safeguarding these company, pals,” Khairullah Khairkhwa, the interim data minister, mentioned whereas referring to the TTP in his speech aired by Taliban-controlled state tv and shared by way of X social media platform.
In response to the Voice of America, Khairkhwa made the uncommon admission simply days after the Pakistani safety forces reportedly carried out airstrikes towards terrorist places in an jap Afghan border province.
The Taliban claimed that Tuesday’s assault in Paktika resulted within the deaths of practically 50 civilians, predominantly refugees from Pakistan. Nevertheless, the claims couldn’t be verified from impartial sources.
Khairkhwa pressured the necessity for Pakistan “to attract classes from the implications of navy interventions” in Afghanistan by Britain, the previous Soviet Union and america, respectively, for the reason that nineteenth century.
“Anybody who assaults Afghanistan or harbours such intentions should be taught from the defeat of three superpowers,” he added.
That is the primary public admission by a senior Taliban chief relating to the presence of TTP operatives within the nation.
Islamabad has not acknowledged the cross-border strikes, however impartial sources mentioned that a number of “terrorist hideouts” of the TTP have been focused within the strikes wherein a number of key TTP commanders have been additionally eradicated.
The TTP, which has been designated as a worldwide terrorist organisation by the United Nations, has stepped up assaults in Pakistan for the reason that Taliban’s August 2021 return to energy in Kabul. “Sadly, the TTP continues to function from there and killing harmless individuals inside Pakistan. This can’t go on,” Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif mentioned throughout a cupboard assembly on Friday.
“They need to rein within the TTP. This constitutes a crimson line for us. The TTP working from Afghan soil is unacceptable beneath any circumstances,” he mentioned, including that his authorities was prepared to speak with the Afghan authorities to handle the difficulty. “However there will be no progress if, on the one hand, they search to foster relations with Pakistan whereas concurrently allowing TTP to function with impunity,” he mentioned.
Additionally on Friday, the Pakistani navy reported that its counterterrorism operations and clashes with TTP terrorists resulted within the killings of over 900 “terrorists” this yr, together with 27 Afghan suicide bombers and fighters. The violence additionally left practically 400 Pakistani safety forces and officers martyred, mentioned DG ISPR Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry.