Pakistan Army Vows to Continue Operations Against Militants Based in Afghanistan

Pakistan’s Chief of Army Staff, Asim Munir, has said that lasting peace and stability in the region require preventing armed groups from using Afghan territory to launch attacks against Pakistan. Speaking at a commanders’ meeting in Rawalpindi, General Munir held the Taliban responsible for what he described as the presence and activities of militant groups operating from Afghanistan. He said Islamabad would continue its operations against these groups. Pakistani authorities have accused groups such as the (TTP) and the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) of being linked to India. The allegations have repeatedly been rejected by both the Taliban authorities and India. Tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan over militant activities and cross-border attacks have remained a major source of strain between the two neighbours in recent years.