Efforts by Islamabad to counter cross-border attacks have yielded positive results, with interim Afghan rulers reportedly arresting 200 suspected militants involved in attacks against Pakistan. According to Voice of America (VOA), Afghan authorities have taken other “concrete steps” to “neutralize” terrorist activities along the border.
Details of the crackdown, primarily targeting the outlawed Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), were shared during bilateral talks held last week in Kabul between Afghan authorities and a high-level delegation from Islamabad.
These talks followed a tragic incident where four soldiers lost their lives while defending Pakistan Army check posts located near the Afghanistan border in the general area of Kalash, District Chitral. The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) reported the attacks on September 6.
“On 6 September 2023, a large group of terrorists equipped with the latest weapons attacked two Pakistani military posts located closer to the Pakistan-Afghanistan border in the general area of Kalash, District Chitral,” read a statement from the military’s media wing.
During the ensuing firefight, 12 terrorists were eliminated, while a significant number of militants sustained critical injuries, according to the ISPR statement.
An anonymous official, quoted by VOA, stated, “The Afghan Taliban arrested 200 TTP cadres returning from the Chitral attack. They are now behind bars.” He added that Afghan authorities were also in the process of relocating other TTP members away from the border with Pakistan.
The official cautioned that the effectiveness of these measures needed to be assessed over time, emphasizing the need to allow Afghan authorities the opportunity to consolidate these steps.
The Pakistani delegation to Kabul, led by Pakistan’s special representative on Afghanistan, Asif Durrani, included senior military officials. Officials in Islamabad characterized their discussions with Taliban Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi and his team as “promising” and described the talks as “extensive.”
It is noteworthy that the TTP is designated a global terrorist organization by Pakistan, the United States, and the United Nations.
Meanwhile, Taliban supreme leader Hibatullah Akhundzada has issued orders prohibiting his forces from launching cross-border attacks against Pakistan, deeming them “haram” or un-Islamic. He has also directed Afghans not to cooperate with or provide donations to the TTP for its self-proclaimed jihad against Pakistan. Additionally, the militants have been barred from conducting donation collection campaigns in Afghanistan.
Officials in Islamabad, in their discussions with VOA, expressed their belief that the Afghan Taliban are actively distancing themselves from groups previously aligned with them during the insurgency but now involved in criminal activities within Afghanistan. These activities include extortion, kidnapping for ransom, and terrorism, and the Afghan Taliban appear to be dissociating from such elements.
