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KABUL – Pakistan’s army is allegedly attempting a ‘Kashmir-style infiltration’ into Afghanistan by pushing ISIS terrorists across the border. Former Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) commander Ehsanullah Ehsan has told The Sunday Guardian that Pakistani army is trying to use the porous Afghan-Pak border to push in the terror group’s operatives.
The revelation came amid heightened tensions between Afghanistan’s armed forces and Pakistan’s military at the Durand Line in the Sirkanay district on January 20, leading to a clash involving heavy artillery that lasted until Saturday evening.
The skirmish is not the usual border confrontation, as claims from Taliban officials and TTP sources suggest an unprecedented motive. Sources within the Pakistani military assert that the clash was orchestrated to facilitate the infiltration of ISIS terrorists into Afghanistan. The strategy involves stirring up disputes at the border, diverting the attention of Afghan forces, and allowing ISIS operatives to cross while they are engaged with their well-equipped neighbors.
Former TTP commander Ehsanullah Ehsan described the incident as a ‘copycat action’ reminiscent of Pakistan’s tactics on its Eastern borders facing India. These tactics involve engaging in artillery fire as a diversion while sponsored terrorists attempt to infiltrate. Ehsan stated, “The intruders had the full support of the Pakistani army and were being provided military ‘cover’ noticed by the Afghan side.”
The Pakistan army’s narrative, attributing the clash to repairs at the border fence, is contradicted by sources suggesting that it occurred when ISIS fighters attempted to cross into Afghanistan. The Afghan forces retaliated, targeting the posts of the Pakistani forces with heavy weapons, revealing the collaboration between the Pakistani army and ISIS fighters.
This disturbing coordination between the two entities has reportedly increased, according to a senior TTP commander and a source within the Taliban military. The Afghanistan intelligence agency, General Directorate of Intelligence, has collected evidence indicating closer ties between ISIS cadre and the Pakistan army. The motive behind these actions is believed to be destabilizing Afghanistan, with implications for the ongoing geopolitical landscape and pressure on the Taliban leadership to cease support for the TTP.
As Afghanistan witnesses a surge in terror attacks attributed to ISIS, allegedly orchestrated by the Pakistan army, the international community closely watches the evolving situation, raising concerns about the region’s stability and the potential consequences of these alleged covert operations.
