PESHAWAR: Army Chief Gen Raheel Sharif has directed the authorities concerned to coordinate with the Afghan National Security Forces and the Resolute Support Mission in Afghanistan to indiscriminately curb cross-border movement.

During a visit to Kurram Agency and the Thall area of Hangu district, he also issued directives for stringent measures to improve border management, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said in a statement here on Tuesday.

Gen Sharif reviewed new deployments and structures being raised in the area along the Afghan border.

The statement said that the army chief was briefed by the operation commander on the security situation in Kurram and the progress of ongoing combing operations and intelligence-based operations (IBOs).

Security forces had conducted an operation in the Thall area adjacent to Kurram and North Waziristan agencies on Sunday and arrested some suspects. Officials said that after the completion of tactical operations, security forces would now conduct IBOs in the region.

Gen Sharif expressed satisfaction over the progress of combing operations and the resultant security environment. He appreciated the valour of troops and gains made by them and the “value the operations are bringing to the cleansing of the area from terrorists and their sympathisers”.

“While we consolidate gains of kinetic operations in Fata, our emphasis is on rooting out all sleeper cells (of terrorists) and a network of their facilitators from Fata and across rest of the country,” the ISPR quoted the army chief as saying.

He reiterated that operations would continue without any discrimination and Pakistan would not allow any terrorist to use its soil for terrorism against any other country.

Earlier on his arrival in Kurram, he was received by Peshawar Corps Commander Lt Gen Hidayat ur Rehman.

Published in Dawn, August 24th, 2016