ISLAMABAD: An Afghan national allegedly involved in terrorist activities inside Pakistan was killed earlier this week during a security operation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s North Waziristan district, the military’s media wing announced on Saturday.
Islamabad has repeatedly accused the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) of using Afghan soil to orchestrate attacks in Pakistan, urging Kabul to take action against the group. The Afghan government, however, denies these claims.
Counterterrorism Operation
According to a press release from the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the operation took place on February 6, 2025, in the Datta Khel area of North Waziristan, where security forces neutralized an Afghan national involved in terrorist activities.
The statement seemingly referred to an intelligence-based operation (IBO) in which three militants were killed while attempting to escape disguised in women’s attire (burqas).
The deceased individual was later identified as Luqman Khan alias Nusrat, son of Kamal Khan, a resident of Spera District, Khost Province, Afghanistan, the ISPR revealed.
Diplomatic Implications
Pakistani authorities have contacted the Afghan interim government to hand over Luqman Khan’s body, reaffirming their stance that Afghan nationals are actively involved in terrorist activities within Pakistan.
“Such incidents are irrefutable evidence of the involvement of Afghan nationals in terrorism inside Pakistan,” the ISPR stated, urging Kabul to prevent Afghan soil from being used for cross-border terrorism.
Last month, Pakistan similarly repatriated the body of another Afghan terrorist killed in an IBO in Balochistan’s Zhob district.
Ongoing Security Concerns
In December 2024, ISPR Director General Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry highlighted in a press conference that terrorist outfits were being provided safe havens, support, and unrestrained operational freedom on Afghan territory.
With rising security tensions, Pakistan continues to demand concrete action from Kabul to curb militant activities originating from Afghan soil.
