The second terrorist eliminated during a security forces intelligence-based operation in Bajaur on July 11 has also been identified as an Afghan national, adding to mounting evidence of the involvement of Afghan nationals in terrorist activities inside Pakistan.
According to identification details, the eliminated terrorist was Ahmad Mukhlis alias Mutasim, son of Qari Mirza Zaman, a resident of Lahor Khel village, Hisarak District, Nangarhar Province, Afghanistan. He was among the terrorists neutralized during the operation carried out against Fitna al-Khwarij terrorists in Bajaur.
His identification comes after authorities had already confirmed that another terrorist eliminated in the same operation was also an Afghan citizen, further strengthening indications that Afghan nationals continue to play an active role in cross-border terrorist networks targeting Pakistan.
The latest revelation adds to a growing body of evidence linking Afghan nationals to terrorist attacks and militant activities across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan. Pakistani security forces have, on multiple occasions, recovered Afghan identity documents, weapons and other material from terrorists eliminated during intelligence-based operations in the country’s western regions.
The pattern was highlighted once again in the recent suicide bombing targeting the Kabal Police Station in Swat, where authorities identified the suicide bomber as an Afghan national. The attack, which targeted law enforcement personnel, reinforced concerns over the continued use of Afghan nationals in terrorist attacks inside Pakistan.
Security analysts believe such repeated identifications undermine claims that terrorist violence in Pakistan is solely the work of local elements. Instead, they point to an organized cross-border terrorist infrastructure that recruits, facilitates and infiltrates operatives into Pakistan, particularly in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan.
Pakistan has consistently maintained that terrorist groups, particularly Fitna al-Khwarij, continue to exploit sanctuaries across the border to plan and execute attacks inside the country. The repeated identification of Afghan nationals among eliminated terrorists and suicide bombers is likely to intensify calls for effective action against terrorist safe havens and the networks facilitating cross-border infiltration.
The identification of Ahmad Mukhlis alias Mutasim further adds to the growing list of Afghan nationals found involved in terrorist activities inside Pakistan, reinforcing concerns that the country’s counterterrorism challenge continues to have a significant cross-border dimension.
