ISLAMABAD - Chief of Army Staff General Raheel Sharif yesterday assured Afghan President Ashraf Ghani that Pakistani soil would not be allowed to be used for any type of terrorism in Afghanistan.

During a tele-conversation with Afghan President Ashraf Ghani, General Raheel Sharif condemned terrorists attack on American University in Kabul and expressed his sympathies with the bereaved families.

According to a statement issued by ISPR, Afghan authorities had shared three mobile telephone numbers allegedly used during the university attack who allegedly were on contact with the attackers. It said that based on the info provided by Afghan authorities about these three Afghan cell numbers, Pakistan Army carried out a combing operation in suspected area closer to Pak-Afghan border to verify presence of miscreants.

“Our evaluation of the evidence provided and outcome of combing operation so far, has shown that all Afghan SIMs used during the attack were from a network owned and operated by Afghan company whose spillover signal affects some areas along Pak-Afghan border,” said the ISPR statement. It said outcome of the operation so far has been shared with Afghan authorities. Further technical evaluation of the cell numbers (all Afghan) is being carried out. It said the army chief assured Afghan president of all-out cooperation on availability of further information from Afghans.

Earlier, in the day ISPR said that eight terrorists have been arrested in an intel-based operation and a separate combing operation in Chaman near Afghan border.

AFP adds: The attack was “organised and orchestrated” from Pakistan, Ashraf Ghani’s office said, adding the Afghan president spoke to Gen Raheel Sharif to demand “serious measures against the terrorists”.