During briefing on ongoing operations, Asim Bajwa say TTP splinter groups have been operating from Afghanistan. Military spokesperson Major General Asim Bajwa said on Wednesday that in the wake of the ongoing operation in North Waziristan, Afghanistan was not cooperating with the Pakistan Army the way they had hoped.
Briefing the media in Peshawar on the army operations in North Waziristan and Khyber-I, the director general Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) said that before Operation Zarb-e-Azb was launched, Afghanistan was informed and requested to dislodge, hand-over and kill the militants fleeing the region.
Bajwa went on to say that the leadership of splinter groups of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan are operating from Afghanistan.
“Banned TTP outfit leadership is operating from Afghanistan,” DG ISPR said, adding that splinter groups have bases in Afghanistan from where they make videos and contact media groups from. However, he said the militants are not ‘organised’ anymore.
Responding to a question on the use of Afghan SIMs by militants, he said the signals of Afghan telecommunication companies spill over Pakistani territory and the Afghan side was required to carry out work in this regard.
He added that the use of these SIMs is dangerous and certain mobile phone signal towers situated near the border area would have to be relocated.
Furthermore, Maj Gen Bajwa also said that Operation Khyber-I was launched in Khyber Agency to tackle militants fleeing North Waziristan owing to the ongoing Operations Zarb-e-Azb.
However, he affirmed that all militants would soon be indiscriminately and permanently eliminated from Pakistan.
“We will eliminate all militants this time,” he asserted, assuring that no one will be allowed to use Pakistan’s soil for terrorism.
Bajwa said several areas of North Waziristan have been cleared of militants as Zarb-e-Azb continues successfully. “The operation is currently ongoing in Datta Khel,” he informed, “The Pakistan Army has got control of all major areas in North Waziristan.”
He went on to add that “132.5 tonnes of explosives and 2 million tonnes of ammunition have been recovered from North Waziristan.”
He reiterated that over 1,100 militants have been kill
Source : https://tribune.com.pk/story/782861/ttp-splinter-groups-operating-from-afghanistan-dg-ispr
October 29 , 2014
Editor