Is Afghanistan facilitating cross-border attacks?
https://arab.news/b3227
For years Islamabad kept complaining that militants escaping its military operations in Pakistan's northwestern region had found refuge in Afghanistan and were using its territory to plan and execute cross-border attacks.
Few took Pakistan’s claims seriously. The Afghan government was in a state of denial even though a number of prominent Pakistani Taliban were killed in US drone strikes in Afghanistan. The world considered Afghanistan as a victim of militancy and terrorism and sympathized with it. After its October 2001 military intervention in Taliban-ruled Afghanistan to avenge the Al-Qaeda-sponsored 9/11 terrorist attacks, the US had aligned with the Afghan government and was unwilling to criticize it for not taking action against the militants present in provinces bordering Pakistan.
The fact that a significant number of senior Afghan Taliban members, including those from its affiliate Haqqani network, escaped to Pakistan after the collapse of their regime in December 2001 made it difficult for Islamabad to deny their presence and plead its case effectively. It was obvious that militants from both countries were able to build safe havens as the host governments turned a blind eye to the situation. The tit-for-tat tactics were hurting both Afghanistan and Pakistan, but none was ready to deny space to militants involved in violence on either side of the Pakistani-Afghan border, commonly known as the Durand Line.
Pakistan’s position was vindicated recently when the United Nations released a report that pointed out that an estimated 6,000 to 6,500 Pakistani militants were hiding in Afghanistan and attacking military and civilian targets in Pakistan. The UN analytical and sanctions monitoring team, which tracks terrorist groups around the world, prepared the report.
When cross-border attacks happen, Pakistan forces occasionally react with artillery shelling into Afghan territory. It sometimes causes Afghan casualties in villages on the border and triggers anti-Pakistan protests. Such incidents increase hostility between Pakistan and Afghanistan. What happened in Spin Boldak, next to Pakistan's border crossing at Chaman last week, was the latest of such incidents.
Rahimullah Yusufzai
Though the figure of the Afghanistan-based Pakistani militants is a matter of debate as the estimates vary, there is no doubt the numbers remain high as it is easy to cross the long and largely porous border and find refuge. Most of the militants belong to the mainstream Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) founded by late Baitullah Mehsud in December 2007 as an umbrella of several radical organizations.
The UN report came as a relief for Islamabad as it proved it right that Pakistani militants and other anti-Pakistan terrorists have sanctuaries in Afghanistan and are using its soil to destabilize Pakistan. Now Pakistan can more confidently pursue this issue and also try to highlight the alleged nexus between the Afghan intelligence agency — National Directorate of Security (NDS) — and India’s Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) in using Pakistani militants and Baloch separatists to carry out attacks in Pakistan.
Pakistan also cannot be expected to sit idle and let this all happen. It has reacted in the past to avenge attacks and would do so whenever necessary whether it is in Afghanistan or in India-administered Jammu and Kashmir.
Though the UN report argued that the Pakistani fighters in Afghanistan pose a threat to both countries, it is clear that their primary target is Pakistan. The fact that these fighters fled Pakistan and found refuge in Afghanistan is sufficient evidence as to where they felt safe.
There is no proof that the Afghanistan-based Pakistani militants have claimed responsibility for any terrorist attack against Afghan targets. In contrast, almost every terrorist strike in Pakistan is claimed by the Pakistani terrorists, ranging from the outlawed TTP to its splinter factions as well as by several Baloch separatist groups. The foremost among them is the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) which on June 29 attacked Pakistan’s biggest bourse, Karachi Stock Exchange. The group said its target was Pakistan’s economy and Chinese economic interests and the assault was in revenge for the exploitation of Balochistan’s resources.
The cross-border attacks have increased, particularly in North Waziristan and Bajaur, two of the seven tribal districts in former FATA, which was merged with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province in May 2018. The Pakistani militants associated with the TTP, Jamaat-ul Ahrar, Hezbul Ahrar, Lashkar-i-Islam as well as the Daesh-affiliate Islamic State Khorasan (ISK) are behind these attacks.
The ISK is fiercely anti-Pakistan as most of its members previously belonged to the TTP. The UN report also said the TTP has linked up with ISK reinforcing the threat to Pakistan. Most militants target Pakistani security posts along the border. The soldiers and civilians doing fencing work on the border are also a frequent target of snipers and IEDs.
There is no evidence that the Afghan government forces have tried to stop the Pakistani militants from undertaking cross-border attacks. In fact, Pakistani officials argue that such attacks are facilitated by the Afghan forces. Earlier, Kabul used to defend itself against such accusations by claiming that it has no writ in certain border areas and was, therefore, unable to prevent the attacks. Pakistani authorities have refused to buy this argument.
When cross-border militant attacks happen, Pakistan forces occasionally react with artillery shelling into Afghan territory. It sometimes causes Afghan casualties in villages on the border and triggers anti-Pakistan protests. Such incidents increase hostility between Pakistan and Afghanistan. What happened in Spin Boldak, next to Pakistan's border crossing at Chaman last week, was the latest of such incidents.
*Rahimullah Yusufzai is a senior political and security analyst in Pakistan. He was the first to interview Taliban founder Mullah Mohammad Omar and twice interviewed Osama Bin Laden in 1998. Twitter: @rahimyusufzai1
