[Islamabad] Pakistani forces performed a counterterrorism raid in Pakistan-administered Kashmir recently, eliminating 4 members of the prohibited Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) in the very first operation of its kind in the area.
The raid happened in the Rawalakot district of Azad Kashmir, a disputed location declared by both Pakistan and India. 2 Pakistani security workers were eliminated in the gunfight that followed.
Throughout an interview Thursday night, local cops chief Abdul Jabbar verified the operation and stated those eliminated were members of the Pakistani Taliban, which is lined up with the Afghan Taliban.
The fighters eliminated in the raid were supposedly working to develop a brand-new TTP chapter in Azad Kashmir. According to Jabbar, the group had actually been preparing to assault regional security setups and was getting instructions from 2 essential Taliban figures based in Afghanistan: Dr. Abdul Rauf and Ghazi Shahzad. He included that more than 7 people connected to the group have actually been detained over the previous 2 months. Pakistan declares that numerous TTP fighters are safeguarding in Afghanistan, a claim regularly rejected by the Afghan federal government.
Security authorities think the TTP was trying to open a brand-new front in this tactically delicate area. Any growth of the group’s existence in Azad Kashmir would raise severe alarms and additional stress Pakistan’s internal security.
Jabbar likewise implicated the group of running with assistance from Indian intelligence services.
Given that the Taliban’s go back to power in Afghanistan in 2021, the TTP has actually magnified its revolt within Pakistan, intensifying attacks in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, consisting of attacks on military convoys, police headquarters, and intelligence workers.
Authorities state the effective operation in Rawalakot shows strong coordination in between Pakistan’s intelligence and security services. They think the quick action avoided the group from entrenching itself in the location and releasing a new age of violence.
Islamabad has actually declared its dedication to combating all kinds of terrorism and protecting the nation’s territorial stability. Security authorities stressed that no group will be permitted to run easily in any area, no matter foreign support. To enhance this position, Pakistan has actually released countless soldiers throughout delicate zones in Azad Kashmir.