RAWALPINDI: Security forces killed three militants belonging to the Indian-backed group Fitna al Khwarij in two separate counterterrorism operations in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said on Sunday.
According to ISPR, troops detected the movement of a group of militants attempting to infiltrate into Pakistan from across the Pakistan-Afghanistan border in the general area of Esham, North Waziristan. The infiltration attempt was swiftly foiled as security forces engaged the group with precision fire, killing two militants on the spot.
One of the slain militants was identified as Kharji Qasim, an Afghan national who previously served in the Afghan Border Police, ISPR said.
In a separate intelligence-based operation in Tank District, security forces neutralized another militant associated with Fitna al Khwarij, identified as Ikramuddin alias Abu Dajana, also an Afghan national.
“These incidents expose the continued involvement of Afghan nationals in terrorist activities targeting innocent civilians and security personnel inside Pakistan,” the statement added.
Pakistan has repeatedly urged the Interim Afghan Government to ensure effective border management and prevent the use of Afghan soil for terrorism against Pakistan.
“The security forces of Pakistan remain resolute and unwavering in defending the nation’s frontiers,” ISPR stated, adding that sanitization operations are ongoing in the area to eliminate any remaining militants.
Under the ‘Azm-e-Istehkam’ counterterrorism campaign, approved by the Federal Apex Committee on National Action Plan, security forces and law enforcement agencies will continue operations at full intensity to eradicate foreign-sponsored terrorism from the country.
