Gen Abbas said militants and their leaders - Fazalullah, Faqir Muhammad, Abdul Wali and Hakimullah - had hideouts in these areas, adding that when Nato was pulling out its troops from the areas, Pakistan had conveyed its well-founded concerns. — File Photo

ISLAMABAD: Inter-Services Public Relations Director General Maj-Gen Athar Abbas has said that there are terrorist safe havens inside Afghanistan.

In an interview with a British media group, he said terrorists from Swat had found Kunar and Nuristan in Afghanistan to be safe havens and from there they launched cross-border attacks inside Pakistan.

Gen Abbas said militants and their leaders - Fazalullah, Faqir Muhammad, Abdul Wali and Hakimullah - had hideouts in these areas, adding that when Nato was pulling out its troops from the areas, Pakistan had conveyed its well-founded concerns.

Commenting on a video showing the killing of 27 troops in a Dir village on June 1, the ISPR chief said the incident was being investigated to trace the culprits. He said 50 to 60 Tehrik-i-Taliban Swat militants crossed over into Pakistan and brutally martyred the Pakistani troops in an attack on their checkpost.

He said the militants were led by Hafeezullah alias Kotchwan, Muftiuddin alias Shabbar and three other commanders from Toormila.

The ISPR DG said that although the Army could not directly act in Kunar (Afghanistan), a commission had been set up in Peshawar to see what possible action could be taken.