RAWALPINDI: Pakistan’s foreign ministry on Monday confirmed airstrikes against terrorist groups operating in Afghanistan.
The operation, conducted on the basis of secret intelligence, targeted the hideouts of the banned Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and the notorious Hafiz Gul Bahadur group.
According to a statement issued by the Foreign Office, Pakistan’s air operations were carefully planned to root out terrorist elements responsible for numerous attacks on Pakistani soil that resulted in the loss of lives of civilians and law enforcement personnel.
Pakistani forces conducted intelligence operations (IBO) in the border areas inside Afghanistan in the afternoon on Monday morning against terrorists launching attacks in Pakistan from Afghan soil, the Ministry of External Affairs (MoFA) said on Monday.
Today’s operation targeted terrorists belonging to the Hafiz Gul Bahadur Group, which, along with the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), is responsible for the March 16 attack in Mir Ali, North Waziristan, and a series of other terrorist attacks in the country, leading to the deaths of hundreds of civilians and law enforcement agencies.
On Saturday, at least seven Pakistan Army soldiers – including a lieutenant colonel and a captain – were martyred after bravely fighting terrorists when they attacked a security force post in the Mir Ali area of North Waziristan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP).
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (FO) issued a detailed statement on the matter, saying that Pakistan has repeatedly conveyed its serious concerns to the Interim Afghan Government over the past two years regarding the presence of terrorist outfits including the TTP inside Afghanistan.
According to sources, Pakistan has targeted three terrorist Marakis in Paktia and Khost provinces of Afghanistan.
According to initial reports, several terrorists were killed. Marakish terrorists have been involved in planning, masterminding and carrying out numerous attacks in Pakistan, including the recent attack on Mir Ali. During the operation, special care was taken to minimize collateral damage through a focused intervention.
Pakistan and Afghanistan are fraternal neighbors facing the scourge of terrorism. Both have negotiated and cooperated against this common threat in the past and will continue to do so in the future.
The menace of terrorism plaguing our great nation will be eradicated because the leadership of the country has decided not to accept any loss as routine and make every life matter.
She said that these terrorists pose a serious threat to Pakistan’s security and consistently use Afghan territory to carry out terrorist attacks on Pakistani soil.
Pakistan attaches paramount importance to the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Afghanistan. Therefore, it has always prioritized dialogue and cooperation in order to face the terrorist threat.
“We have repeatedly urged the Afghan authorities to take concrete and effective measures to ensure that Afghan soil is not used as a base for terrorism against Pakistan. We have also urged them to deny safe haven to TTP and hand over their leadership to Pakistan,” the FO said.
The statement added that Pakistan has great respect for the people of Afghanistan; however, certain elements among those in power in Afghanistan actively sponsor the TTP and use it as a proxy against Pakistan.
“Such an attitude against a brotherly country that has stood by the people of Afghanistan through thick and thin shows short-sightedness. It ignores the support that Pakistan has provided to the people of Afghanistan over the past few decades.
“We urge these powerful forces to reconsider their policy on the side of Khwarij terrorists shedding the blood of innocent Pakistanis and make a clear decision to stand with the people of Pakistan,” it added.
The FO further said that terrorist groups like TTP are a collective threat to regional peace and security.
“We are fully aware of the challenge faced by the Afghan authorities in countering the threat posed by the TTP. Pakistan would therefore continue to work to find common solutions to combat terrorism and to prevent any terrorist organization from sabotaging bilateral relations with Afghanistan,” the statement concluded.
However, the Afghan Taliban claimed that two airstrikes carried out inside Afghanistan by Pakistani forces killed the right people in the war-torn country.
“The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan does not allow anyone to threaten security by using Afghan territory,” Taliban administration spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid said in a Reuters report.
He added that the strikes took place in the eastern border provinces of Khost and Paktika.
