WASHINGTON – The United States on Tuesday called on the Taliban to ensure that terrorist attacks against Pakistan are not launched from Afghan soil.
Asked to comment on Pakistan’s “intelligence-based anti-terrorist operations” inside the border regions of Afghanistan, State Department spokesman Vedant Patel said that the US “deeply” regrets the loss of life and “injustices” sustained during an attack in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.
Seven Pakistani troops were killed in the terrorist attack at a security post in North Waziristan’s Mir Ali area on Saturday.
“We urge the Taliban to ensure that terrorist attacks are not launched from Afghan soil and we urge Pakistan to exercise restraint and ensure civilians are not harmed in their counter-terrorism efforts,” Patel told his daily news briefing on Monday. “And we urge both sides to address any differences. We remain committed to ensuring that Afghanistan never again becomes a safe haven for terrorists who wish to harm the United States and our partners and allies,” he added.
Last month, the U.N. Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team said in a report that al-Qaida operatives were increasingly assisting TTP militants to launch cross-border attacks. And some ruling Taliban members joined TTP, the report noted.
“Besides supplying weapons and equipment, Taliban rank and file, al-Qaida core…. assisted TTP forces in cross-border attacks… Some Taliban members also joined TTP, perceiving a religious obligation to provide support,” the U.N. report said.
Asif Durrani, Pakistan’s special representative to Afghanistan, told a seminar in Islamabad last week that up to 6,000 TTP fighters are sheltering in the neighboring country.
