KHYBER AGENCY: Two officials of the Frontier Constabulary (FC) were martyred in an attack on a Pakistani border post in Khyber Agency by terrorists from Afghanistan side early Friday, the military’s media wing said.
“Pakistani troops effectively responded, killing six terrorists,” added the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) in a statement.
According to security officials, the Speena Sooka check post manned by FC personnel in Tor Mor, Lwee Shalman area of Khyber Agency was attacked from the Afghan side.
Jamaatul Ahrar, a breakaway faction of the outlawed Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, claimed responsibility for the attack, further stating 110 of their fighters took part in the attack.
The latest terror incident comes at a time when Pakistan and Afghanistan have agreed to de-escalate tensions by strengthening mutual ties.
“A high-level Afghanistan-Pakistan meeting that was hosted by the British Government In London with the aim to discuss and agree on a mechanism for genuine bilateral cooperation on fighting terrorism, agree on steps and measures to improve the current hostile bilateral relations and mutual trust has been concluded very positively,” revealed the Afghan Ambassador to Pakistan.
Pakistan shut its border crossings with Afghanistan last month, after a series of bombings claimed by Taliban based in Afghanistan killed over a 100 people.
The Pakistan army made redeployment to seal the Afghan border, attacked militant hideouts and also launched Operation Radd-ul-Fasaad in urban areas of Punjab and rest of the country to eliminate terrorists and their facilitators.
It reportedly pounded with shells a training camp of Jamaatul Ahrar, which had also claimed responsibility for suicide bomb attacks on Feb 13 and Feb 15 in Lahore and Mohmand Agency.
Pakistan has repeatedly lodged protests with Afghan authorities over cross-border attacks by terrorists hiding there.