Despite repeated assurances from the Afghan Taliban, yet another piece of evidence has surfaced regarding the use of Afghan territory in acts of terrorism inside Pakistan, along with the involvement of Afghan nationals in such activities.
In Khyber District of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, on April 22 (English report attached below), security forces conducted an intelligence-led operation against elements linked to Fitna al-Khawarij, in which 18 terrorists were eliminated and two were arrested.
During the identification process of the eliminated terrorists, one of them was confirmed to be an Afghan national, identified as Owais Ahmad alias “Mukhlis,” son of Ghulam Mohammad, a resident of Bambei village in Chak district, Wardak province, Afghanistan.
A condolence gathering was later held in his home village on May 9 and 10 inside a local mosque in his memory.
This is not the first instance where Afghan nationals have been identified among those killed in terrorist attacks or intelligence-based operations in Pakistan. Rather, this pattern has shown a noticeable increase in recent incidents.
The key question, however, remains unchanged: despite the growing body of evidence and repeated indicators on the ground, how long will the Afghan Taliban continue to deny this undeniable reality?
Another pressing question is how long Pakistan can continue to bear the burden of burying civilians and security personnel while exercising restraint and strategic patience in the role of a neighboring brotherly Islamic country.
