File photo. Abdul Majeed—AFP
In statement, military’s media wing condemns use of Afghan soil by terrorism, adding it expects interim Taliban government will not allow such activities to continue
Five soldiers were martyred and four others injured after terrorists targeted a checkpost in Kurram from across Pakistan’s border with Afghanistan on Saturday night, according to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR).
In a statement, the military’s media wing said that Pakistani troops had responded befittingly to the attack, adding that intelligence reports had indicated that the “terrorists suffered heavy causalities” in the exchange of fire.
Lance Naik Ajab Noor, 34, resident of Karachi; Sepoy Ziaullah Khan, 22, Lakki Marwat; Sepoy Naheed Iqbal, 23, Karak; Sepoy Sameerullah Khan, 18, Bannu; and Sepoy Sajid Ali, 27, Bahawalnagar have been identified as the soldiers that were martyred in the assault.
“Pakistan strongly condemns the use of Afghan soil by terrorists for activities against Pakistan and expects that the interim Afghan government will not allow the conduct of such activities against Pakistan in future,” the ISPR said. It stressed that the Pakistan Army was “determined to defend” the country’s borders against terrorism and such “sacrifices” would further strengthen their resolve.
There has been a marked increase in terrorist attacks on security forces across Pakistan since the Taliban took over Kabul in August 2021—a significant development in light of authorities claiming last year that the Taliban’s return to power would lead to an end of cross-border terrorism. The ISPR statement marks the first time that Pakistan has officially condemned the use of Afghan soil for terrorism under the Taliban rule.
In a statement condemning the attack, Interior Minister Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed urged the Taliban government to “fulfil” its promise of controlling cross-border terrorism. “We pay tribute to the sacrifices made by the security forces,” he said, adding that the sacrifices of the security forces would not go in vain.
Last week, during a regular press briefing, Pakistan’s Foreign Office likewise said that Islamabad expected the Taliban regime to address all security concerns. “We have been raising this matter [cross-border terrorism] consistently and we will continue to do that. We expect our concerns to be addressed,” Foreign Office spokesman Asim Iftikhar had told media.