Pakistan says cross-border infiltration attempt foiled along Afghan border, killing 15 terrorists
By The South Asia Times
ISLAMABAD - Pakistan’s military said Thursday that security forces had foiled an attempted cross-border infiltration by a group of militants along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border opposite North Waziristan district, killing 15 militants after a 36-hour engagement.
According to a statement from the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), troops detected the movement of a group it described as members of Fitna al-Khawarij, which Pakistan alleges is sponsored by India, during the night of August 31 to September 1.
The military said its forces responded to the attempted infiltration and engaged the group “professionally and with patience.” Following what it described as a “precise and skillful” operation lasting 36 hours, 15 militants were killed.
A subsequent sanitization operation recovered a significant quantity of weapons and ammunition from the militants, according to ISPR.
Pakistan said the incident reinforced its longstanding accusations that militants are using Afghan territory to conduct attacks inside Pakistan. Islamabad has repeatedly urged Afghanistan’s Taliban authorities to prevent armed groups from operating from Afghan soil.
The military also accused the Taliban regime of failing to ensure effective border management and meet its international obligations to prevent cross-border terrorism.
The latest operation comes as Pakistan continues its counterterrorism campaign under Azm-e-Istehkam, a national security initiative approved by the Federal Apex Committee under the National Action Plan.
ISPR said security forces were conducting further sanitization operations in the area to locate and eliminate any remaining militants.
“The Security Forces of Pakistan remain resolute and unwavering in their commitment to defend the nation’s frontiers,” the military said, adding that counterterrorism operations would continue to target what it described as foreign-sponsored and supported terrorism.
