Two soldiers of Pakistan army embraced martyrdom on Monday while four others were injured in a cross-border militant attack on a checkpost in Bajaur Agency near Pakistan-Afghanistan border. Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) in a statement said that militants attacked as Islamabad is trying to tighten its grip on monitoring border management. At least ten terrorists were killed in retaliation at the border as Sepoy Raham Sher and Captain Junaid Hafeez embraced martyrdom in the attack. “The absence of Afghan writ on Afghan side of the border, like many other areas, facilitates terrorists to undertake such attempts,” ISPR said.
Pakistan once again has condemned the cross border terrorist attack. Foreign Office summoned Afghan Charge d’Affaires to lodge protest with the Afghan government over the incident. Pakistan and Afghanistan accuse each other of harbouring their militant enemies and both deny the other’s charges. Pakistan maintains that terror groups are not functioning in Pakistan, but operating from across the Pak-Afghan border.
There are multiple actors active in Afghanistan and relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan do not go well with certain elements. Another terrorist attack from across the border strengthened Pakistan’s claim that Afghan side of the border is vulnerable and Afghan government is unable to control militants.
Pakistan began fencing the Pak-Afghan border earlier this year to prevent terrorists from crossing into the country from Afghanistan. But Afghanistan expressed serious reservations. Pakistan maintained that in order to prevent movement of militants proper border management is the only suitable option. Pakistan has been witnessing a surge in terrorist attacks on its security forces deployed along the Pak-Afghan border who are engaged in strengthening border management.
This attack once again proved that various militant groups are nurturing in increasingly ungoverned places inside Afghanistan. It is unfortunate that rouge elements are using Afghan soil with ease in fulfilling their obnoxious plans against Pakistan. Just a week before a Pakistani diplomatic official was shot dead in Jalalabad.
Constant aggression against Pakistan from Afghan side of the border is a serious threat to peace and stability of the region. Afghan government must take immediate action against terrorists who are finding sanctuaries in Afghanistan to target Pakistani security forces. Afghanistan also needs to understand that strengthening the border management is critical to preventing such cross border attacks.
