In the aftermath of a successful security operation between August 7–9 that eliminated 47 terrorists attempting to infiltrate Pakistan via the Sambaza border region in Balochistan, a disturbing development followed: no one came to claim the bodies.
According to security sources; the slain militants, most of whom were Afghan nationals, belonged to a major cell of Fitna al-khawarij, a term used by officials to refer to extremist groups operating from across the Afghan border. The operation, described as a significant intelligence-led success, thwarted what could have been a major cross-border terror attempt.
Sources revealed that many of the bodies fell on the Afghan side of the border during the firefight. Yet, even 15 days after the operation, Afghan authorities made no effort to retrieve or claim the remains. During this time, the corpses were left exposed to the elements, decaying under the sun, scavenged by wild animals, and posing a health hazard.
It wasn’t until August 25 that, following a local jirga between border officials, the rotting remains were finally removed, carried away on donkeys by local Afghan handlers.
Security officials highlighted the absence of any formal response from the Afghan side as a telling indicator of either tacit support for these groups or a complete breakdown in governance in the border region.
“This was a major preemptive success. Neutralizing such a large terror cell before it could strike is a testament to the capability and coordination of our security and intelligence agencies,” said a security official.
The chilling aftermath, however, paints a grim picture—not just of militant threats, but of a region where even the dead are abandoned by those who sent them.
