Pakistan army threatens response over militants finding ‘safe haven’ in Afghanistan

Pakistan’s army said on Friday it was seriously concerned that militants had found safe havens in neighboring Afghanistan and threatened to take an “effective response” two days after 12 of its soldiers died in two attacks.

Nine soldiers died after fighters stormed an army base in Pakistan’s southern Balochistan province, which borders Afghanistan and Iran, and three more were killed in an exchange of fire in the area on Wednesday, the military said.

For all the latest headlines follow our Google News channel online or via the app.

The army has “serious concerns on the safe havens and liberty of action available to TTP in Afghanistan,” it said, referring to the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan militant umbrella group.

“Such attacks are intolerable and would elicit effective response from the security forces of Pakistan,” it said, without spelling out who it might target with its response.

“The involvement of Afghan nationals in acts of terrorism in Pakistan is another important concern that needs to be addressed,” it added.

The foreign ministry of Afghanistan’s Taliban administration did not immediately respond to a request for a comment.

Kabul has denied past accusations that it allows militant groups to launch attacks on Pakistan from its territory.

Balochistan is a mineral-rich region that has been troubled by a decades-old ethnic Baloch insurgency.

Militants, who aim to overthrow the Pakistani government and install their own brand of strict Islamic law in the predominantly Muslim country of 220 million people, have also been active in Balochistan.

They have stepped up attacks since revoking a ceasefire agreement with the government in late 2022, including the bombing of a mosque in the northwestern city of Peshawar that killed more than 100 people earlier this year.

Read more:

Pakistan’s $3 billion bailout program approved by IMF board

Taliban suspends Sweden aid groups in Afghanistan over Quran burning

Extremist militants attack military base in Pakistan killing 12 soldiers