Pakistan military deplores TTP havens on Afghan border

The Pakistan military has deplored the convenience and freedom with which militants have been launching attacks in Pakistan from Afghanistan and has said it expects the Taliban to take action. It has also highlighted the involvement of Afghan nationals in “acts of terrorism” in Pakistan, Dawn reported.

Dawn is a reputed English daily in Pakistan.

The military’s media wing, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), in a statement on Friday said, “Armed Forces of Pakistan have serious concerns on the safe havens and liberty of action available to TTP [Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan] in Afghan­istan.”

The statement comes two days after 12 soldiers lost their lives in militant attacks in Zhob and Sui districts of Balochistan.

“It is expected that Taliban would not allow the use of its soil to perpetrate terror against any country, in the real sense and in line with commitments made in Doha Agreement,” the ISPR said referring to the US-Taliban deal signed in the Qatari capital in 2020 to bring an end to the 2001-2021 war in Afghanistan.

The peace agreement ultimately led to the withdrawal of US forces from Afghanistan in August 2021.

The ISPR’s statement came after Pakistan Chief of the Army Staff, General Asim Munir, on Friday visited Quetta Garrison where he was briefed on the attack on a military installation in Zhob cantonment, as per Dawn.

Nine soldiers were killed on Wednesday at the base which the militants stormed into armed with guns, hand grenades and rockets. The army said all five militants who stormed the base in the early hours were killed in retaliatory fire.

On the same day, militants also attacked security forces in Sui. Three soldiers were killed in the exchange of fire, whereas two militants were killed.

The combined deaths of 12 soldiers from attacks is the military’s highest single-day death toll from militant attacks reported this year.

The army chief also visited the soldiers injured in the attack at the Combined Military Hospital and appreciated their services and resolve. He also paid tribute to those killed, the military said.