Pakistan armed forces deserve nation’s appreciation for promptly and effectively delivering a befitting response to the combined aggression of Taliban forces and TTP terrorists.
Security forces on Saturday night launched a fierce counterattack after Afghan army fired across the border, obliterating multiple posts and cutting through Kabul’s troops and Indian-backed militants, who stood no chance against Pakistan’s precision fire.
Unprovoked firing by Afghan forces along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border prompted a strong response from the Pakistan Army, resulting in killing of several Afghan soldiers and Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) terrorists. According to security sources, Afghan forces on Saturday night opened unprovoked fire at multiple locations along the border — including Angoor Adda, Bajaur, Kurram, Dir and Chitral areas in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and Zhob district in Balochistan province. The firing, they added, was aimed at facilitating cross-border movement of the formations of “Khawarij” — TTP operatives. Pakistan’s timely and precise action destroyed multiple Afghan border posts and left dozens of Afghan soldiers and Khawarij militants dead.
Pakistan is witnessing almost daily killings of its innocent people and attacks on its security forces yet the country demonstrated extreme level of patience in the face of unending terrorist attacks openly backed by the Taliban government in Kabul. Both civil and military leadership of Pakistan repeatedly raised the issue of misuse of Afghan soil against the country with Taliban authorities but their lukewarm response forced Pakistan to go for precision strikes against terrorist hideouts in Afghanistan. Kabul had no legitimate cause for complaint as it failed to reign in TTP terrorists operating from Afghan soil and the precision strikes targeted sanctuaries of terrorists and did no harm to Afghan people or law-enforcing agencies. The Afghan military has issued an official statement claiming that Taliban border forces in the east “engaged in heavy clashes against Pakistani forces’ posts in various border areas” in retaliation of the air strikes by Pakistani forces. A day earlier, the Afghan Government had warned Pakistan of ‘consequences’ and it implemented the threat by launching an attack on Pakistani forces in close coordination with the TTP elements. The development confirmed a UN report, which said the TTP “receive substantial logistical and operational support from the de facto authorities”, referring to the Taliban government in Kabul. Pakistan has genuine grievances against the Taliban Government as it has paid no heed to impassioned appeals made by Pakistan to check TTP terrorists that are playing with the lives of Pakistani people.
The intensity of the situation can be gauged by the fact that this week alone 38 Pakistani troops and three civilians have been killed in acts of terrorism committed by Fitna-al-Khawarij. In the latest incident, six policemen and a mosque prayer leader were martyred and twelve others injured in a brazen terrorist attack on the police training school in DI Khan. According to official figures, more than 500 people, including 311 troops and 73 policemen, have been killed in attacks since January up to September 15 and it is understood Pakistan cannot afford continued loss of life. Pakistan doesn’t want a war with Afghanistan yet strong and swift response it gave to combined aggression of Taliban and TTP has conveyed a clear message to the other side that patience is running out and Pakistan forces will go to any extent to defend the country and its people. This is evident from the fact that Pakistan forces seized 19 Afghan posts along the border, which were being used to launch attacks into Pakistan. The Pakistan Army used artillery, tanks and both light and heavy weapons in its response, while air assets and drones were also deployed to strike militant hideouts. The operation targeted ISIS and Khawarij sanctuaries, including Afghan command centres harbouring these militants, the sources said, confirming that terrorist positions and hideouts were also struck inside Afghanistan. Pakistan has taken a decision to eliminate terrorists wherever they are and a dangerous situation might evolve if the Taliban Government did not review its policy of harming Pakistan directly or indirectly.
Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi has rightly pointed out that Afghanistan was playing a dangerous game of fire and blood with links to our arch rival. It is not a coincidence that Afghan aggression came at a time when Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi was visiting India and a decision has been taken to strengthen New Delhi’s diplomatic presence in Afghanistan, which invariably means plans to intensify anti-Pakistan collusion. Muttaqi described terrorism as Pakistan’s internal issue despite the presence of TTP terrorists on Afghan soil. Afghanistan also went a step further in subscribing to the viewpoint of India on the burning issue of Jammu and Kashmir by referring to it as part of India in the joint statement. Despite anti-Pakistan posturing, we hope sanity will prevail and Kabul will respond positively to repeated calls by Pakistan for resolution of the differences through negotiations and in the spirit of international law.
