2 Pakistani army troops killed in cross-border attack

KARACHI, Pakistan

Pakistan's army said Sunday that two soldiers were killed in a terrorist attack from inside Afghanistan.

"Terrorists from inside Afghanistan across the international border opened fire on a military post in Bajaur district. In the [ensuing] exchange of fire, Sepoy Jamal and Sepoy Ayaz embraced shahadat [martyrdom]," said a statement from the army's media wing, Inter-Services Public Relations.

"Pakistan Army troops responded in a befitting manner. As per intelligence reports, due to the fire of Pakistan army troops, 2-3 terrorists were killed and 3-4 terrorists were injured, it added.

Pakistan "strongly" condemns the use of Afghan soil by terrorists for activities against Pakistan and expects that the existing and future setup in Kabul will not allow such activities, said the statement.

The attack happened days after the Taliban assured the world that they would not allow terrorists to use Afghanistan as a base for attacking other countries.

Pakistan's Interior Minister Shaikh Rashid Ahmad told reporters last week that the Taliban had assured Islamabad that they would not allow Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) – a consortium of several militant outfits in Pakistan – to operate from Afghanistan's soil.

The TTP was pushed towards Afghanistan in 2014 following a large-scale military onslaught in the northwestern tribal belt, mainly North Waziristan, the militant group's former headquarters.

Since then, according to Pakistan's army, the group has been operating from the Afghan side of the border against Pakistani security forces.

Islamabad and Kabul have long been accusing each other of patronizing terrorists against each other.

Pakistan nonetheless expects a halt in attacks from the Afghan side of the border following the capture of Kabul by the Taliban.

Islamabad is believed to have a degree of influence over the Taliban.