ISLAMABAD: The Director General of Inter-Services Public Relations, Major Gen Athar Abbas, has said that army troops and Frontier Corps personnel had been deployed in areas bordering Afghanistan to stop militant attacks from across the border.
In an interview with Radio Pakistan, he said Pakistan would not allow militants to attack its checkposts and border villages and kill civilians.
The ISPR director general said about 100 personnel of police, Levies and paramilitary forces had so far been killed in attacks by militants from across the border during past three to four months.
The ISAF, he said, had been informed about the attacks and the location of militants’ hideouts had also been pointed out, but no action had so far been taken, which indicated that the safe havens and bunkers might have been destroyed or militants had fled from there.
He said it appeared that there was no presence of the Afghan army or ISAF in the vast area from where militants were operating against Pakistan.
He said about 37 security personnel were killed in the Chitral attack, which was the first such assault and a matter of great concern for Pakistan.
Replying to a question, he said there was a report about a militant attack in Bajaur, but no casualty had so far been reported.
He said most of the militants’ attacks had taken place in Dir and the terrorist group which had fled from Swat was trying to return via Dir.
He said all border checkposts had been strengthened and their numbers in Dir had been increased.
He said militants had safe havens in Kunar, Nooristan and Nangarhar areas of Afghanistan and there were no security forces in the areas. It appeared that the militants were being supported locally and operating freely, he added.
He said Pakistan could not launch an operation across the border. The issue has been taken up with Afghan army personnel and ISAF, but no effective operation has been seen in these areas.—APP
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