Afghan National Identified Among 15 Terrorists Killed Along Pak-Afghan Border

ISLAMABAD: Another case has emerged that Pakistan says demonstrates the involvement of Afghan nationals in terrorist activities inside Pakistan, following the identification of one of the 15 terrorists killed during a security operation at the Ghulam Khan border on September 1.

According to the information released by Pakistani authorities, one of the terrorists killed during the operation was identified as Syed Ahmed Haroon, who was found to be a resident of Paktia province in Afghanistan.

The identification has been presented by Pakistan as further evidence supporting its longstanding concerns about cross-border terrorism originating from Afghan territory.

Authorities said Ahmed Haroon’s identification as an Afghan national reinforces Pakistan’s position that terrorists operating from across the border continue to pose a security threat inside the country.

The development has also raised fresh questions over the effectiveness of measures taken by the Afghan Taliban government to prevent terrorist groups from using Afghan territory for attacks against Pakistan.

Pakistan has repeatedly called on Kabul to prevent its territory from being used by terrorist organisations and to take effective action against groups involved in cross-border attacks.

The identification of an Afghan national among those killed has also renewed scrutiny of Taliban authorities’ claims that they are taking effective action against terrorist organisations operating within Afghanistan.

Pakistan has consistently maintained that Afghan territory should not be used as a launching ground for attacks against its citizens and security forces.

Islamabad argues that the presence of Afghan nationals among terrorist groups killed during operations inside Pakistan is an indication of the wider cross-border security challenge.

Pakistani officials have also pointed to the reported deaths of more than 300 Afghan nationals while fighting alongside terrorist organisations in Pakistan as evidence of the scale of Afghan involvement in terrorist networks operating across the border.

Authorities argue that these cases demonstrate the need for stronger border controls, intelligence cooperation and concrete action against terrorist groups based in or operating from Afghanistan.

The latest identification is expected to further intensify Pakistan’s calls for the Afghan authorities to fulfil their responsibilities regarding border security and prevent terrorist organisations from using Afghan soil for attacks against Pakistan.

Pakistan’s security forces have reiterated that operations against terrorist networks will continue to protect the country’s borders, civilians and national security.