Pakistan’s military said Thursday that security forces killed 15 militants who were trying to slip into the country from neighboring Afghanistan, underscoring the persistent volatility along the frontier.
In its statement, the military referred to the slain fighters as “Fitna al-Khawarij,” the label Pakistani officials use for the Pakistani Taliban, formally known as Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan, or TTP. It also claimed the militants had Indian backing.
According to the military, the group was spotted Tuesday while attempting to enter North Waziristan, a district in the northwestern province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The ensuing gunbattle lasted 36 hours.
There was no immediate response from Kabul or New Delhi. Pakistan has repeatedly accused Afghanistan and India of aiding the TTP and other militant organizations, claims both governments have denied.
Acting President Yousaf Raza Gilani commended Pakistan’s security forces for “thwarting the infiltration attempt” and killing the 15 militants. In a statement, he said India-backed militants would not be permitted to undermine Pakistan’s peace, stability and prosperity, adding that counterterrorism operations would continue until terrorism was eradicated.
Pakistan has seen a sharp rise in militant attacks in recent months, many of them blamed on the TTP. The group is distinct from the Afghan Taliban but maintains close ties with it. Islamabad says numerous TTP commanders and fighters have taken refuge in Afghanistan since the Taliban returned to power in 2021, an accusation Kabul rejects.
The border operation took place a day after Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry said any progress toward better relations with Afghanistan would depend on concrete steps and assurances from Kabul.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Tahir Andrabi said Chinese envoy Yue Xiaoyong visited Islamabad this week and met Pakistan’s special representative, Mohammad Sadiq, as part of diplomatic efforts to reduce tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan. Andrabi said, however, that improved ties would require “verifiable, written assurances from the Afghan side that their territory will not be used for terrorism against Pakistan.”
In April, China hosted talks between Pakistan and Afghanistan in the western city of Urumqi to end fighting that erupted between the two countries in February and left hundreds dead. Since then, Pakistan has not held any talks with Kabul.
In the statement, the military said the latest attempted infiltration by militants reinforced its contention that the Afghan Taliban government was failing to prevent its territory from being used to launch attacks against Pakistan. “The Afghan Taliban Regime has consistently failed to ensure effective border management and honor its international obligations,” it said.
