Afghans admit their involvement in acts of terrorism in Pakistan

Although the government of Pakistan, on several occasions, has presented to the Afghan government what it calls irrefutable evidence of the involvement of its citizens in acts of terrorism in Pakistan, the infiltration of Afghan militants into Pakistan continues unabated, reported 24NewsHD TV channel on Tuesday.    

Afghan militants, associated with the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), presently in the custody of law-enforcement agencies (LEAs) have confessed to have been involved in attacks on Pakistani soil.

Saifullah, resident of Khost province of Afghanistan, has admitted that he crossed over into Pakistan on March 10, 2023 along with nine others; five Pakistanis and six Afghans.

He has told interrogators that of these 10 militants, who entered Pakistan, three namely Naveed, Yasir and Waqar had suicide jackets.

“Our commander was laying a landmine when it exploded,” he said, adding, “And we don’t have any idea whether he survived or was killed in the incident.”

Saifullah went on to say that after that there was a raid by Pakistan Army on their hideout following which he fled from the spot and eventually got separated from his associates. “It was five days later that the army personnel managed to find me out and nab me,” he explained.

While Shah Mehmood, another Afghan militant, has confessed that he carried out an attack on a gas plant in Karak, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), in which four people had lost their lives.

Giving further details, he said he was a resident of Kandahar province of Afghanistan, and had joined the TTP on the insistence of Maulvi Mehmoodullah. “My commander is Mufti Noor Wali,” he disclosed.

Mehmood told interrogators that he had come to Waziristan along with eight others for taking instructions from the TTP’s high command.

The militant further said that after carrying out an attack on the gas plant, he returned to Afghanistan. “While I was in Afghanistan, I received a phone call in which I was told to come to Quetta,” he said, adding, “But I was caught while crossing the Pak-Afghan border at Chaman.”

On the other hand, Gul Ahmad, another militant, has turned out to be a resident of Kandahar in Afghanistan. “I met with TTP militant Anas before the holy month of Ramadan and we both decided to head to Waziristan,” he said, adding, “We attacked the gas plant in Karak at midnight and killed the security personnel.”  

And when four hours later, he elaborated, he and his associates were on their way back to Afghanistan, they were apprehended on the border.

As many as seven militants namely Hanif, Hanzla, Mustafa Gar, Rehmat, Muhabbatullah, Umair and Usman Khan killed in recent attacks on the FC camp in Muslim Bagh, Balochistan and Zhob Cantonment, also in Balochistan, were Afghan nationals.

Apart from that, it has been now established that those who had carried out suicide bombings in Pakistan in 2022 were Afghan nationals namely Naseeb Zardan, Qari Zubair, Ziaullah, Ziaur Rehman and Khalid.

Likewise, militants killed recently while crossing over into Pakistani territory were identified as Imadullah, a resident of Khost, Muhammad Khalid, Ihsanullah and Shaukatullah; all Afghanis.

 

Reporter: Ahmad Mansoor