At least two soldiers were martyred and four others injured in a suspected militant attack on a checkpost near the Pak-Afghan border in Bajaur Agency on Monday, according to an Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) statement.

"Terrorists from [the] Afghanistan side attempted [an] attack on Pakistani posts along [the] Pak-Afghan border in Bajaur Agency. The attempt was effectively responded killing 8-10 fleeing terrorists while many seen running back [were] injured," ISPR said.

The martyred soldiers were identified as Capt Junaid Hafeez and Sepoy Raham.

"The absence of Afghan [state] writ on [the] Afghan side of the border, like many other areas, facilitate terrorists to undertake such attempts," ISPR said.

The incident comes days after a similar attack on a checkpost at the border in Rajgal Valley left one sepoy martyred.

The ISPR in August had announced the conclusion of Khyber-4 Operation in Khyber Agency which included clearing the areas on the Pakistani side of the border.

Pakistan began fencing the Pak-Afghan border earlier this year to prevent terrorists from crossing into the country from Afghanistan.

The two countries accuse the other of harbouring their militant enemies — both deny the other's charges.

Earlier this month, during a Senate Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs briefing, Foreign Secretary Tehmina Janjua maintained that terror groups are not functioning in Pakistan, but operating from across the Pak-Afghan border.

"In Afghanistan, 45 per cent of the country is not under government control, which is why the Haqqani network and other terror groups do not need a safe haven in Pakistan," she said, repeating the state's new refrain on cross-border terrorism.

Opinion

Editorial

Digital growth
Updated 25 Apr, 2024

Digital growth

Democratising digital development will catalyse a rapid, if not immediate, improvement in human development indicators for the underserved segments of the Pakistani citizenry.
Nikah rights
25 Apr, 2024

Nikah rights

THE Supreme Court recently delivered a judgement championing the rights of women within a marriage. The ruling...
Campus crackdowns
25 Apr, 2024

Campus crackdowns

WHILE most Western governments have either been gladly facilitating Israel’s genocidal war in Gaza, or meekly...
Ties with Tehran
Updated 24 Apr, 2024

Ties with Tehran

Tomorrow, if ties between Washington and Beijing nosedive, and the US asks Pakistan to reconsider CPEC, will we comply?
Working together
24 Apr, 2024

Working together

PAKISTAN’S democracy seems adrift, and no one understands this better than our politicians. The system has gone...
Farmers’ anxiety
24 Apr, 2024

Farmers’ anxiety

WHEAT prices in Punjab have plummeted far below the minimum support price owing to a bumper harvest, reckless...