ISLAMABAD: The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) announced in a statement that at least eight terrorists, including a key figure responsible for the Mir Ali attack, were neutralized during a security forces’ operation in North Waziristan district overnight on March 17 and 18.
The statement highlighted that amid intense gunfire, eight terrorists, including the High-Value Target (HVT) terrorist commander Sehra, also known as Janan, were eliminated.
Sehra was identified as the orchestrator of the terrorist assault on a Security Forces’ Post in Mir Ali on March 16 and was a high-priority target for law enforcement agencies.
Tragically, a Pakistan Army lieutenant colonel and a captain were among the seven martyred during the terrorist attack on the security forces’ post in Mir Ali.
The ISPR emphasized ongoing sanitization operations in the area to eradicate any remaining terrorists. It reaffirmed the unwavering determination of Pakistan’s Security Forces to eradicate the scourge of terrorism from the country.
Meanwhile, Afghanistan’s Foreign Minister Zabihullah Mujahid has rebutted statements from Pakistani officials regarding the presence of Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) within Afghan territory. Nonetheless, he acknowledged that certain border regions might lie beyond the control of the Emirate.
Mujahid asserted, “We categorically reject the presence of any foreign groups in Afghanistan, and they are prohibited from operating on Afghan soil. We have exerted our utmost effort in this regard.”
His remarks come amidst reports of Pakistani airstrikes targeting TTP hideouts in Paktika and Khost. While neither Pakistan nor Afghanistan has issued an official statement, there is speculation that the residences of prominent TTP leaders have been the focus of these attacks.
However, Mujahid also acknowledged the extensive and challenging nature of the border shared by the two countries, stating, “It is undeniable that Afghanistan shares a lengthy border with Pakistan, encompassing areas of rugged terrain such as mountains and forests, where governmental control may be lacking.”
This statement follows a declaration by Pakistan’s Defense Minister Khawaja Asif, who asserted that TTP was launching attacks on Pakistan from sanctuaries based in Afghanistan. Asif further stated that Pakistan was cognizant of the locations where TTP operatives were hiding.
