Pakistan carries out “calculated strikes” near the Afghan border, killing 29 militants (Photo/AFP)
Pakistan on Sunday carried out an intelligence-based ground operation and “calculated strikes” on terrorist hideouts and safe havens along the Pak-Afghanistan border, killing 29 militants, the Associated Press news agency reported.
The operation came a day after militants armed with guns and explosives attacked the Sindh Rangers headquarters in Karachi, killing security personnel. Pakistan said the latest action was in response to a series of armed attacks across the country.In a post on the websiteAccording to Tarar, security forces first carried out an intelligence-based ground operation in Bajaur district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province near the Pak-Afghanistan border. He added that four militants, including a “high-value” commander named Khan Farosh, were killed during the operation.Pakistan then carried out what it described as “calculated strikes” on three militant targets in Paktia, Paktika and Kunar provinces in Afghanistan.
Tarrar said that the strikes destroyed terrorist camps and hideouts belonging to the Al-Ahrar group and the Kharijite sedition, killing 25 other militants. He added that large quantities of weapons and ammunition stored in those sites were also destroyed.This operation comes in the wake of the attack that took place on Saturday night on the regional headquarters of the Sindh Rangers in Karachi. According to Pakistani authorities, gunmen rammed a vehicle into the main gate of the complex before opening fire and throwing grenades.
Security forces killed three attackers and arrested another militant, whom the army said was a wounded Afghan national.Jamaat-ul-Ahrar, a splinter faction of the Pakistani Taliban, claimed responsibility for the Karachi attack.“Pakistan has always strived to maintain peace and stability in the region, but at the same time it will not compromise on the safety and security of our citizens, which remains our top priority,” Tarar said.Pakistan has witnessed a sharp rise in armed attacks targeting security forces in recent years. Islamabad has repeatedly accused the Afghan Taliban government of harboring Pakistani Taliban militants and allowing them to launch cross-border attacks, something Kabul has consistently denied.Pakistan has launched several cross-border strikes since last year, saying they targeted the Pakistani Taliban and allied militant groups operating from bases inside Afghanistan.There was no immediate response from the Taliban-led Afghan government.(With inputs from agencies)
