Pakistan Army has expressed concern over ‘safe havens’ of Afghan militants

ISLAMABAD, July 14 (Reuters): Pakistan’s military said it was concerned that militants had found safe havens in neighboring Afghanistan, threatening an “effective response” two days after 12 of its soldiers were killed. In two attacks.

Nine soldiers were killed after Islamist militants stormed a military base in Pakistan’s southern Balochistan province, which borders Afghanistan and Iran, and three more were killed in clashes in the area on Wednesday, the military said.

“The Army has serious concerns about the safe havens and freedom of operation available to the TTP in Afghanistan,” it said, referring to the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan militant umbrella group.

“Such attacks are intolerable and will draw an effective response from Pakistan’s security forces,” it said, without specifying who it would target in its response.

“Participation of Afghan nationals in terrorist activities in Pakistan is another major concern that needs to be addressed,” it added.

Afghanistan’s Taliban regime’s foreign ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Kabul has denied previous accusations that it allows terrorist groups to launch attacks against Pakistan from its territory.

Balochistan is a mineral-rich region troubled by a decades-old ethnic Baloch insurgency.

Islamic extremists are also active in Balochistan, aiming to overthrow the Pakistani government and impose their own brand of strict Islamic law in the Muslim nation of 220 million.

After that they intensified their attack The ceasefire is being lifted A deal with the government in late 2022 includes the bombing of a mosque in the northwestern city of Peshawar. More than 100 people were killed People earlier this year.

Reporting by Asif Shahzad

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