Border Clash
BAJAUR: Security forces on Tuesday successfully thwarted an attempted infiltration by militants from across the Afghan border into Bajaur district, killing eight suspected members of the banned outfit Fitna al-Khawarij, according to official sources.
The incident occurred in the Lowi Mamund tehsil, a rugged and mountainous region of Bajaur, where the militants reportedly tried to cross into Pakistan from Afghanistan’s eastern Kunar province.
Acting on credible intelligence, security personnel swiftly mobilized and engaged the infiltrators in a targeted operation, neutralizing all eight militants before they could advance further into Pakistani territory.
Sources familiar with the operation stated that the swift response from the security forces was made possible by enhanced intelligence-gathering and surveillance capabilities along the porous Pak-Afghan border.
Following the operation, security has been further tightened in the region, with intensified monitoring and patrols to prevent any future infiltration attempts by members of the Fitna al-Khawarij network, which has been involved in several cross-border attacks in recent months.
While the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR)—the military’s media wing—has yet to issue an official statement on the latest development, local residents in Lowi Mamund confirmed that a prolonged exchange of fire between security forces and militants took place in the early hours of Tuesday. The clashes reportedly lasted several hours, with intermittent gunfire echoing through nearby villages.
Tragically, one child was wounded during the incident. The injured boy, identified as Muhammad Khan, son of Abdur Rouf, was initially rushed to Larkholozo Hospital and later shifted to the District Headquarters Hospital in Khar for advanced medical treatment.
Tuesday’s operation comes just a week after a deadly bomb explosion in Khar tehsil’s Sadiqabad area on July 2, which targeted a government vehicle and resulted in the deaths of five individuals, including Nawagai Assistant Commissioner Faisal Ismail and Tehsildar Abdul Wakeel Khan, while injuring 17 others, including four police personnel.
The fresh wave of counterterrorism operations in Bajaur reflects the state’s resolve to eliminate cross-border militancy and maintain peace in the region, particularly following recent intelligence reports suggesting an uptick in infiltration attempts from militant strongholds in eastern Afghanistan.
