The local Taliban have started sending their militants to Afghanistan to fight United States-led NATO forces after announcing a ceasefire in Pakistan, BBC Urdu reported on Thursday. A Taliban leader told BBC on condition of anonymity that the local Taliban leadership had started sending militants into Afghanistan after announcing a ceasefire in Pakistan following an agreement with the new government. He said that many Pakistani Taliban had crossed into Afghanistan in groups over the last few days to attack the US and NATO forces. He added that the Taliban used “unusual paths” to cross the border because of the presence of Pakistani and foreign troops.
When contacted, Taliban spokesman Maulvi Umar neither denied nor confirmed the recent movement of militants into Afghanistan. He said that the infiltration of Taliban into Afghanistan had been continuing for the last several years. He said the “real jihad” was continuing against foreign forces in Afghanistan, adding that the Taliban were “merely defending” themselves in Pakistan.
ISPR: ISPR spokesman Major General Athar Abaas told BBC that he had not received any confirmed reports regarding TalibanÂ’s cross-border movement. He said that 120,000 Pakistani troops, armed with latest weapons and equipment, had been deployed at 1,000 checkposts on the border to check the movement of militants.
He said that cross-border terrorism was also reviewed in the meetings of the tripartite commission comprising Pakistan, Afghanistan and NATO, adding that he had not yet received any complaint from other members of the commission in this regard.