KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – Pakistan’s military has said its security forces killed 16 militants near its western border with Afghanistan.
In a statement on Sunday, Pakistan’s army stated its border troops engaged in an exchange of fire during the night between March 22 and 23 in North Waziristan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.
The statement said all armed fighters were killed while attempting to infiltrate Pakistani territory from neighboring Afghanistan.
“Pakistan has consistently been asking the Interim Afghan Government to ensure effective border management on their side,” the statement read, adding that the Pakistani security forces remain committed to securing the country’s borders and eliminating terrorism.
Taliban authorities have not commented on the matter.
This comes as Pakistan’s Special Representative for Afghanistan, Sadiq Khan, is in Kabul for a two-day visit to discuss bilateral and economic issues.
Pakistan has repeatedly accused the Taliban of harboring members of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), a terrorist group responsible for numerous attacks on Pakistani security forces.
Islamabad claims that the Afghan Taliban have failed to prevent the TTP’s cross-border operations, a charge the Taliban has consistently denied.
