Pakistan’s military said Saturday that intelligence reports confirm Afghan nationals are directly involved in deadly attacks inside the country, renewing pressure on the Taliban to rein in militants operating from Afghan soil.
In a statement, the army said it expects the Taliban to meet
their commitments and prevent territory under their control from being used for
“terrorist activities” against Pakistan. The remarks follow a series of
cross-border attacks that Islamabad blames on the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan, or
TTP, a militant group aligned with the Taliban.
The United Nations has reported that between 5,000 and 6,000
TTP fighters are currently present in Afghanistan under Taliban rule, despite
repeated denials from Kabul that it harbors the group. The Taliban have
previously rejected Pakistan’s accusations, insisting Afghan soil is not being
used against other countries.
The army also said it carried out an operation on Sept. 10
in the Lal Qila Maidan area of Lower Dir, in Balochistan province, killing 10
members of the Baloch Liberation Army, or BLA, in clashes that left seven
Pakistani soldiers dead. It described the BLA as an “India-backed proxy group,”
recently designated a terrorist organization by the U.S. and several European
nations.
“Clearance operations are underway to eliminate any other
foreign elements found in the area and backed by India, as Pakistan’s security
forces are determined to root out the Indian-sponsored terrorist threat from
the country,” the statement said.
The military added that such operations strengthen
Pakistan’s resolve to eliminate militants, even as tensions with the Taliban
over cross-border militancy continue to mount.
