At least four Pakistani soldiers were killed when Pakistani Taliban (TTP) attacked two military posts along Afghanistan-Pakistan border in Chitral. Pakistan claims that a “large group of terrorists” stormed security outposts, promoting fierce clashes where 12 assailants were also killed in the clashes.
The terrorists carried out attacks on two separate outposts in the Kalash border valley, where the soldiers repulsed the attack. The assailants were equipped with the latest weapons, according to the Inter Service Public Relation (ISPR) news release.
Terrorists’ movement and concentration in Gawardesh, Pitigal, Barg-e-Matel and Batash areas of Nurstan and Kunar provinces of Afghanistan, according to the statement.
The military’s media wing also said that these issues had already been picked up and were timely shared with the Taliban government in Afghanistan.
Pakistan’s home-grown Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) has claimed responsibility for the raid and said its fighters inflicted heavy casualties on Pakistani soldiers. The banned TTP also claimed its fighters seized Pakistani soldier’s weapons while overrunning their posts.
However, the Pakistani officials accuse the Taliban for harboring the TTP and said TTP fighters have fled and taken shelter in Afghanistan. But the Taliban government had time and again denied the charges, saying that no one can use Afghan soil against other countries, including the neighbor Pakistan.
TTP and Afghan Taliban strongly ties
It has been widely believed among the Pakistani authorities that TTP has been emboldened after the return of power of the Taliban in Afghanistan as the group carried out attacks against Pakistani targets in the last two years.
The Taliban overtake Afghanistan in August 2021, and also hosted two rounds of talks between the TTP members and Pakistani delegation in Kabul in order to reach peace between the two sides.
In June this year, there was a renewed push by the Taliban to restart talks between TTP and Pakistan, where Pakistani officials had already met with TTP Chief to discuss peace. There was no official confirmation, but recently TTP chief Noor Wali Mehsud met with a Pakistani delegate as part of efforts to explore more on the possibility of resumption talks that were called off in November last year.
Though the Pakistani officials seemed reluctant to carry talks with TTP and laid down a clear condition that TTP will have to surrender first for any dialogue. Apparently, the Afghan Taliban is more eager for the talks as they continue to push for the rapprochement. In May, when the Taliban Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi visited Islamabad, had asked for resumption of talks with TTP but the Pakistani side was not interested.
Pakistan is no longer interested in direct talks with TTP
The Pakistani officials had said that they will not directly speak with the TTP, and if there were any talks in the future, it would be conducted through the Afghan Taliban. At the same time, Pakistani authorities were disappointed with the Taliban for harboring the TTP, and somehow the Taliban will never use force against the TTP because they are “ideological cousins”.
The Afghan Taliban has been making efforts to find a middle ground or a workable solution to address the TTP issue and engage in talks with the Pakistani sides for resumption of talks.
At the same time, Pakistan didn’t want confrontation with the Afghan Taliban and had called on the international community to stay engaged with Afghanistan. Pakistan is willing to continue working with the Afghan Taliban despite their failure to act against TTP.
Pakistan Caretaker Prime Minister, Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar on Thursday reaffirmed the country’s strong resolve to get rid of its state of terrorism.
“Thanks to our alert forces, the terrorist attack on military posts near the Pak-Afghan border in Chitral, was repelled with heavy casualties on the terrorist side. Sadly, four brave soldiers embraced Shahadat. Our resolve to eradicate terrorism remains unshaken, and all our citizens stand firm with us,” Kakar tweeted.
Meanwhile key crossing border still remained close
A key border crossing between Pakistan and Afghanistan remained closed for a second consecutive day on Sumpter 7 one day after deadly clashes between the Taliban and Pakistan security forces at Torkham gate. Taliban officials said that authorities of the two neighboring countries are trying to work to determine the reason for the clashes.
Torkahm, which is considered as the main gateway for trade and travel, has remained closed to all vehicular and pedestrian traffic. It has been reported that more security forces from both sides have been dispatched in the bordering areas and tension remains very high.
It has been said that both sides transformed heavy weapons on the side, and more troops are stationed. However, no clashes have been reported since yesterday.
