On Tuesday, Pakistan’s security forces successfully thwarted an infiltration attempt by Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) militants along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, resulting in the deaths of three terrorists, according to the military’s media wing.
The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) issued a statement reporting that security forces identified a group of terrorists attempting to cross into Pakistan from Afghanistan in the Hassan Khel area of North Waziristan District. In an intense firefight, the forces managed to surround and eliminate three militants.
The ISPR emphasized Pakistan’s ongoing calls to the interim Afghan government for more effective border management, urging Afghanistan to prevent terrorists from using its soil to launch attacks against Pakistan.
The statement affirmed the commitment of Pakistan’s security forces to safeguard the country’s borders and eradicate terrorism.
Since the Taliban’s return to power in Afghanistan in 2021, terror attacks targeting Pakistani security forces and civilians have surged, particularly in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan. The Centre for Research and Security Studies (CRSS) reported a 90% rise in fatalities linked to terrorist activities and counterterrorism operations in the third quarter of 2024, with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan accounting for 97% of the deaths.
In response, the Pakistani government launched Operation Azm-e-Istehkam in June 2024, a national counter-terrorism campaign aimed at eliminating terrorism. The government also introduced new border policies to enforce international law and limit the flow of militants and smuggled goods.
Afghanistan, which does not recognize the Durand Line border with Pakistan, claims the border was drawn by the British in the 19th century to divide ethnic Pashtuns. The 2,640-kilometer boundary was formalized in 1893 through an agreement between British India and Afghanistan’s ruler at the time, Abdur Rahman Khan.
