Pakistan: Military intelligence claims Afghanistan hosting terrorist safe havens

Islamabad, 15 July (AKI/DAWN) - Inter-Services Public Relations Director Gen. Athar Abbas has claimed that there are terrorist safe havens inside Afghanistan.

In an interview with British media, Abbas said terrorists from Swat had found Kunar and Nuristan in Afghanistan to be safe havens and from there they launched cross-border attacks inside Pakistan.

Gen Abbas said militants and their leaders – Fazalullah, Faqir Muhammad, Abdul Wali and Hakimullah – had hideouts in these areas, adding that when Nato was pulling out its troops from the areas, Pakistan had conveyed its well-founded concerns.

Commenting on a video showing the killing of 27 troops in a Dir village on 1 June, the ISPR chief said the incident was being investigated. He said 50 to 60 Pakistani Taliban militants crossed into the northwestern Swat district and brutally murdered the Pakistani troops in an attack on their checkpost.

He said the militants were led by Hafeezullah alias Kotchwan, Muftiuddin alias Shabbar and three other commanders from Toormila.

Abbas said that although the Pakistani army could not directly act in the eastern Afghan province of Kunar, a commission had been set up in the northwestern Pakistani city of Peshawar to see what possible action could be taken.

Many militant groups and their leaders, including Fazlullah, Faqeer Muhammad, Abdul Wali and Hakimullah, were taking refuge in safe havens present in Kunar and in neighbouring Nouristan province in eastern Afghanistan, Abbas said.