Security forces kill seven terrorists in Chitral

Another six militants were critically injured during exchange of fire with security forces in Ursoon area, says ISPR

RAWALPINDI:

Security forces have killed seven more terrorists during an exchange of fire in the Ursoon area of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s (K-P) Chitral district, the military’s media wing said in a brief statement on Sunday.

“Own troops effectively engaged terrorists’ location [in general area Ursoon on Saturday] and after intense exchange of fire, seven terrorists were killed, while another six were critically injured,'' the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said.

“Sanitization of the area is being carried out to eliminate any other terrorists found in the area.  Locals of the area appreciated the operation by the security forces and expressed their full support to eliminate the menace of terrorism from the country,” it added.

Read: 12 terrorists killed as army repels TTP attack in Chitral

Four Pakistani soldiers were martyred on September 6 in two separate attacks on Pakistan checkposts in Chitral, which shares a border with Afghanistan. Twelve terrorists associated with outlawed Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) were also killed during the clashes.

In a statement, the ISPR had said a large group of “terrorists equipped with the latest weapons” had attacked two military checkposts in Chitral district, resulting in an “intense exchange of fire”. According to the statement, the attacks were coordinated from the Kunar and Nuristan provinces of Afghanistan.

“Owing to the heightened threat environment, Pakistan’s own posts were already on high alert,” it said, adding that the Taliban administration in Afghanistan was “expected to fulfil its obligations and deny the use of Afghan soil by terrorists for perpetuating acts of terrorism against Pakistan”.

Pakistan Caretaker Foreign Minister Jalil Abbas Jilani on September 9 said the Chitral terrorist attacks were an “isolated” incident and did not appear to have any authorization by the Afghan authorities.

Also read: Chitral returns to normalcy after terrorist attack

After briefing the Senate Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Jilani had told reporters that Pakistan had taken up the issue of rising terrorist attacks emanating from Afghanistan with the Taliban and that the two sides were in touch with each other.

“We are in dialogue with the interim Afghan government…the talks are yielding positive results,” he said. However, the caretaker foreign minister on Saturday, September 10, confirmed that the foreign ministry had issued a demarche to the Afghan charge d’affaires following the attacks.

“Pakistan has registered a strong protest over the incident; summoned the Afghan Cd’A in Islamabad yesterday [Friday] and handed over a demarche to him,” he said in a press conference.

The Pakistan-Afghanistan border crossing at Torkham was also closed on September 6 in a wake of a clash between Pakistani and Afghan border security forces, resulting in a suspension of trade and movement of people between the two countries.

Criticizing the closure of its main border crossing with Pakistan, the Afghan Taliban on Saturday said the halt in trade would see heavy losses for businesses.