Fifty-four militants were killed while trying to enter Pakistan from Afghanistan through the northwestern border. The Pakistani army said this information on Sunday.
The army said in a statement today that a large group of militants was trying to enter the Pakistan-Afghanistan border in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province between Friday and Sunday. That’s when their movements came to the attention of security forces. Later, 54 militants were killed in their operation. In addition, a large amount of weapons, ammunition and explosives were recovered from the militants who tried to cross the border.
The statement further said, “These militants were specifically trying to infiltrate Pakistan to carry out major terrorist activities on the instructions of their foreign masters.”
The Pakistani army said, “At a time when India is making baseless allegations against Pakistan, these militants are doing things that make it clear at whose behest they are being directed.”
The rate of terrorist attacks in Pakistan has increased significantly since the Taliban returned to power in Afghanistan in 2021. Islamabad has been claiming that the attackers are carrying out attacks in Pakistan from safe havens in Afghanistan.
On the other hand, India has recently accused Pakistan of “supporting terrorism across the border.” India made this allegation after 26 civilians were killed in a gun attack in the disputed region of Kashmir on April 22. Pakistan, however, has denied any such involvement.
Meanwhile, Pakistan’s Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi told reporters in Lahore on Sunday, “The foreign masters of the militants are inciting them to enter Pakistan. Our troops attacked from three directions and killed 54 militants. This is the highest number of militants killed in the ongoing operation so far. Never before has such a large number of militants been killed together.’
Earlier on Saturday, 15 militants and two army personnel were killed in three clashes in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. According to an AFP count, more than 200 people have been killed in attacks by armed groups against government forces in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan provinces since the beginning of this year, most of them members of the security forces.
In addition, according to the Center for Research and Security Studies, an Islamabad-based research organization, last year was the deadliest in Pakistan in the past decade, with most of the attacks occurring in areas along the Afghan border. Pakistan has been complaining that the Taliban government in Afghanistan has failed to eliminate militants from its territory. However, Kabul regularly denies this accusation.