ISLAMABAD: Pakistani security forces killed 15 terrorists after halting an infiltration attempt along the border with Afghanistan near North Waziristan, a mountainous region in Pakistan's northwestern frontier that has long served as a staging ground for cross-border attacks.
According to Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the military’s media wing, the group was detected during the night of Aug 31 and Sept 1 as it attempted to cross into Pakistan opposite North Waziristan district.
Security forces engaged them in a 36-hour operation that left 15 dead. The military said the terrorists belonged to the Indian-sponsored Fitna al-Khwarij, a term used by Pakistan for the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan.
Security forces later “conducted a sanitization operation” in the area and recovered “a significant quantity of weapons and ammunition” from the terrorists killed.
The military’s media wing said that Afghanistan's interim Taliban government, which took control of the country in August 2021 after US forces withdrew, has failed to prevent terrorist groups from using Afghan territory to launch attacks into Pakistan.
It also said Afghanistan had failed to manage its border properly.
The military said it would press forward with "Azm-e-Istehkam," its counterterrorism campaign approved by the Federal Apex Committee on Pakistan's National Action Plan, a government strategy to combat militant violence.
Military officials said the effort aims to counter “foreign-sponsored and supported terrorism.”
Prime minister praises security forces
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif commended the security forces for thwarting the cross-border attack, according to the Prime Minister’s Office.
He said the troops displayed "professionalism, patience and courage" during the operation.
The office stated that Pakistan's anti-terrorism campaign will continue until terrorist violence is eliminated from the country.