Cross border attacks by militants based in Afghanistan continue to claim lives of Pakistani soldiers as three personnel were killed on Saturday. Terrorists fired heavy weapons across the border onto a Pakistani military outpost overnight which resulted in a firefight where several of the assailants were killed. This is another extremely tragic incident where troops continue to get killed due to militant groups such as the TTP operating with impunity in Afghanistan.
The Interior Minister has rightly called for immediate measures to prevent the occurrence of such incidents as the interim Afghan government has failed to fulfil its promise of reigning in terror groups. The country is becoming a hotbed of militants and this poses a serious risk to not just Afghanistan and Pakistan, but many other countries in the region as well.
Even earlier this month, seven Pakistani troops were killed in an ambush in the northwest region. The ease with which attacks are being planned and coordinated is extremely concerning and such incidents are unacceptable. Since the takeover of the Taliban there has been a resurgence of the TTP, and in recent months the group has increased its attacks on Pakistani forces from sanctuaries inside Afghanistan. Islamabad repeatedly asked Kabul to secure the border regions to no avail. Other than mere verbal assurances, the Afghan government has not made any significant efforts to dissuade or reign in the TTP.
Afghanistan’s own citizens are also experiencing a spate of deadly attacks. In recent days, there have been a series of explosions, including a bombing last Friday of a mosque in northern Kunduz province that killed 33 people, including several students of an adjacent religious school or madrassa. The striking increase in attacks in Afghanistan – as well as in Pakistan – highlights the growing security challenge facing the Taliban government, which has thus far not inspired any confidence in its ability to step up to the challenge. Time is soon running out for the Taliban to improve its governance and instill a sense of law and order. Otherwise, the international community’s fears of Afghanistan becoming a terror hotspot will be realised and the country will find itself increasingly isolated amidst a humanitarian crisis.
The Interior Minister has rightly called for immediate measures to prevent the occurrence of such incidents as the interim Afghan government has failed to fulfil its promise of reigning in terror groups. The country is becoming a hotbed of militants and this poses a serious risk to not just Afghanistan and Pakistan, but many other countries in the region as well.
Even earlier this month, seven Pakistani troops were killed in an ambush in the northwest region. The ease with which attacks are being planned and coordinated is extremely concerning and such incidents are unacceptable. Since the takeover of the Taliban there has been a resurgence of the TTP, and in recent months the group has increased its attacks on Pakistani forces from sanctuaries inside Afghanistan. Islamabad repeatedly asked Kabul to secure the border regions to no avail. Other than mere verbal assurances, the Afghan government has not made any significant efforts to dissuade or reign in the TTP.
Afghanistan’s own citizens are also experiencing a spate of deadly attacks. In recent days, there have been a series of explosions, including a bombing last Friday of a mosque in northern Kunduz province that killed 33 people, including several students of an adjacent religious school or madrassa. The striking increase in attacks in Afghanistan – as well as in Pakistan – highlights the growing security challenge facing the Taliban government, which has thus far not inspired any confidence in its ability to step up to the challenge. Time is soon running out for the Taliban to improve its governance and instill a sense of law and order. Otherwise, the international community’s fears of Afghanistan becoming a terror hotspot will be realised and the country will find itself increasingly isolated amidst a humanitarian crisis.
