Security forces have killed 15 terrorists trying to infiltrate into Pakistan through its border with Afghanistan, the military’s media affairs wing said on Thursday.
In a statement, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said the terrorists had tried to cross into North Waziristan district on the night between Aug. 31 and Sept. 1. It said security forces had detected the movement, adding troops had “responded professionally and with patience to engage them.”
Following “precise and skillful engagement that lasted for 36 hours,” it said, 15 terrorists of the “India-sponsored Fitna-al-Khawarij” were killed. The state uses the term “Fitna al Khawarij” for the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).
According to the ISPR, forces recovered large quantities of weapons and ammunition from the slain terrorists. It said the incident further “exposed the nefarious designs of khawarij and their facilitators seeking to disrupt peace and stability in the country.”
The military’s media wing said the incident along the Pak-Afghan border once again vindicated Pakistan’s “persistent stance regarding the abject failure of the Afghan Taliban regime to deny the use of Afghan soil to the terrorist organization under their patronage for cross-border terrorism.” It emphasized that the Afghan Taliban had consistently failed to ensure effective border management and honor their international obligations.
The ISPR said a sanitization operation was underway in the region to eliminate any other India-sponsored terrorist in the area. It vowed the relentless counter-terrorism campaign under Vision Azm-e-Istehkam, as approved by the Federal Apex Committee on National Action Plan, would continue at full pace to wipe out the menace of foreign sponsored and -supported terrorism from the country.
In separate statements, the prime minister and president both paid tribute to security forces for successfully foiling the infiltration attempt. “The security forces, demonstrating utmost professional skill, patience and courage, have reduced the impure intentions of the terrorists to dust,” P.M. Sharif said.
He said the Azm-e-Istehkam campaign against terrorism would continue with full force and determination until the menace of terrorism was uprooted from the country.
President Asif Ali Zardari also paid tribute to security forces for their successful operation. “The resolve of the security forces to defend the borders of the beloved homeland and protect peace and stability is commendable,” he said. “No permission will be granted to terrorist elements operating under foreign patronage to spread unrest in Pakistan,” he added.
In his tribute to the security forces, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi said they had reduced the enemy’s “nefarious intentions to dust.”