Tirah offensive: Afghan border forces on high alert

JALALABAD (Pajhwok): Security forces have been put on a high alert along the border with Pakistan, officials said on Thursday.

Pakistani forces have recently started an operation in the Tirah tribal region located near the Nazian district of eastern Nangarhar province.

Pakistani officials claim at least 120 rebels had been killed and several others wounded so far during first phase of the Khyber-II Operation. The second phase of the offensive is said to be launched soon.

After concerns that Pakistani Taliban militants would escape into Afghanistan, officials in the eastern zone on Thursday assured that security forces had been put on a high alert to fight rebels entering Afghanistan.

Col. Mohammad Ayub Hussainkhel, the 201^st border zone commander, told Pajhwok Afghan News additional security forces had been deployed along the border to prevent militants’ cross border movement.

“No one would be allowed to cross the border from Afghanistan or Pakistan to create insecurity in the region,” he said.

When asked about a possible increase in Taliban’s activities in the wake of the Pakistani operation across the border, Hussain Khail said they also planned to launch clearing operations in Nangarhar, Kunar, Nuristan and other border provinces soon and that security forces were on high alert to block Taliban’s infiltration.

Nazian district chief Qazi Mohammad Issa confirmed operations in the Tirah valley, but said the offensive posed no threat to the district’s security.

But a resident of Deh Bala district that borders Nazian, said Taliban militants had crossed the border from Pakistan into Gorgori area and Niazian district.

mds/ma

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