Afghans, NATO launch ‘new push against Haqqanis’

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Afghan security forces and their NATO allies have launched a new push against the al Qaeda-linked Haqqani network along the troubled Pakistani border, senior defence officials said on Tuesday. Afghan Defence Minister Abdul Rahim Wardak said operation “Knife Edge” was launched two days ago, while a senior Defence Ministry official said it was “largely against the Haqqani network”.
The Afghan ministry official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the operation was tied to the recent spats between Washington and Islamabad, but gave no details about its scale. A NATO spokesman confirmed only that “enhanced official operations” were ongoing “to reduce the select insurgent network” in the eastern region that borders Pakistan, but offered no operational details for security reasons. “These networks are directly responsible for recent attacks against the people of Afghanistan and coalition forces,” said US Captain Justin Brockhoff.