Pakistan troops kill 6 militants in Afghan border attack

Pakistan summoned a senior Afghan diplomat on Wednesday and registered a protest over a skirmish during which Pakistani security forces foiled a militant attack on a checkpost on the Pak-Afghan border.

Military sources were quoted as saying that six attackers were killed and nine wounded during a cross-border militant assault on a checkpost on the Pak-Afghan border in Lower Dir region which was repulsed by Pakistan’s security forces late on Tuesday.

The officials, who requested anonymity, also said security along the Pakistan-Afghan border has been beefed up to foil such attacks from the Afghan territory. Pakistan’s Foreign Office in Islamabad summoned the Afghan charge d’affaires and lodged a strong protest with Afghanistan over the cross-border attack.

A Foreign Office statement said that Pakistan would be taking up the matter with the Afghan Government at a higher level in the broader context of enhancing security along the Pak-Afghan border.

Between 70-80 suspected militants were involved in the cross-border attack on Pakistan military post in Upper Dir (between Tripaman and Inkal Sar) on Tuesday night, according to the statement released by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The statement added that seven attackers were killed and nine injured as the assault was successfully repulsed by Pakistan’s military. The details could not be independently verified as the access of media is severely restricted in the region.

Militants based in Afghanistan have attacked Pakistani security posts a number of times souring diplomatic ties between Islamabad and Kabul.

Islamabad has blamed Tehreek-e-Taleban Pakistan (TTP) chief Mullah Fazlullah for the attacks. Fazlullah is believed to be hiding somewhere in Afghanistan’s Nuristan province.

Pakistan once again urged Afghanistan to take effective steps to stop the use of its territory for repeated cross-border fire and physical attacks by terrorists.

The Foreign Office statement said the country emphasised on the extension of all possible cooperation from the Afghan side and measures taken by Afghanistan to eliminate terrorist sanctuaries on its territory, at a time when Pakistan was undertaking a monumental effort against terrorists and their hideouts through the launch of operation ‘Zarb-e-Azb’.

The military launched a full-scale operation in June against Taleban terrorists in North Waziristan tribal region following a brazen attack on Karachi’s International Airport claimed by the Taleban and failure of peace talks between government and Taleban negotiators.

Pakistan has repeatedly asked Afghan authorities not to allow militants fleeing from North Waziristan tribal region and to destroy militant hideouts on its territory.

North Waziristan had become a major base for the TTP which rose up against the state in 2007, while the United States had long called for action in the area against militant groups targeting Nato forces in Afghanistan.

More than 500 militants and 27 soldiers have been killed in the assault so far, according to the military, though their death toll for insurgents cannot be independently confirmed.

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