Pakistan troops kill 30 militants attempting to cross from Afghanistan
Pakistan's army said Friday it had killed 30 militants attempting to cross the border from Afghanistan over the last three days, after 16 soldiers died in a suicide attack in the same frontier region last week.
The militants belonged to the Pakistan Taliban or its affiliated groups, the military said in a statement accusing archfoe India of backing them.
"The security forces demonstrated exceptional professionalism, vigilance preparedness, and prevented a potential catastrophe," it said.
"A large quantity of weapons, ammunition and explosives was also recovered," the statement added.
The killings took place in the border district of North Waziristan, where last week 16 Pakistani soldiers were killed in a suicide attack claimed by a faction of the Pakistan Taliban.
Read moreFragile ceasefire between India and Pakistan holds despite overnight clashes
Islamabad has routinely blamed its western neighbour Afghanistan for allowing militant groups to operate on its soil, but in recent months it has also ramped up accusations against India to its east for backing the groups.
Both neighbours deny any involvement.
Nuclear-armed India and Pakistan in May traded the worst violence in decades during a four-day conflict that killed 70 people on both sides.
Read moreIndia and Pakistan trade accusations of nuclear arsenal mismanagement
It was triggered by New Delhi's accusation that Islamabad supported gunmen killing 26 people on April 22, the worst attack on civilians in the contested Kashmir region in years.
Islamabad has denied any involvement.
Since their independence from British rule, India and Pakistan have frequently fought over Kashmir, a divided region claimed in full by both sides.
Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif lauded the security forces for "thwarting an infiltration attempt".
"We are determined to completely eliminate all forms of terrorism from the country," his office said in a statement Friday.
The prime minister's statement also accused India of fomenting militancy in Pakistan.
The nuclear-armed neighbours regularly trade accusations that the other supports militant groups operating in their territory.
(FRANCE 24 with AFP)
Advertising by Adpathway
