Key Points
- Evidence points to sustained Afghan support and facilitation for Khwarij networks
- Pakistan intensifies intelligence-based operations to dismantle militant infrastructure
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s security forces have killed a former Afghan Taliban member during an intelligence-based operation in north-western Bannu district, in what officials describe as fresh evidence of sustained cross-border support for Khwarij terrorists.
Frequent intrusions and cross-border attacks have necessitated Pakistan’s decisive and retaliatory action against terrorists under Operation Gazab-lil-Haq. Pakistan has carried out cross-border precision strikes against the Khawarij terrorists’ hideouts inside Afghanistan.
According to details emerging from the Bannu Operation, Pakistani forces neutralised, among others, Fatahullah, also known as Madthar, a native of Afghanistan’s Paktia province and a former member of the Afghan Taliban. He had, reportedly, recently joined a Khwarij-linked faction identified as FAK, security sources said.
His presence in the operational theatre has reinforced longstanding concerns time and again raised by Pakistani officials about terrorists having sanctuaries and support in Afghanistan
Pakistan is systematically dismantling khwarij networks through sustained intelligence-based operations, ensuring civilian protection while maintaining strategic pressure on militant remnants across volatile regions, according to the sources.
“Khwarij elements remain structurally dependent on Afghan nationals and cross-border sanctuaries, exposing their inability to survive without external support, facilitation, and ideological backing,” the sources added.
Lacking the capacity to confront Pakistan’s battle-hardened forces, they exploit Afghan soil for refuge, recruitment pipelines, training camps, and operational planning, reflecting strategic weakness rather than strength, the sources maintained.
The neutralisation of Fatahullah, a former TTA (Tehrik-e-Taliban Afghanistan) member turned FAK operative, underscores a consistent pattern of synchronisation* between Afghan Taliban-linked elements and khwarij factions operating against Pakistan.
This successful operation highlights the precision, resolve, and professionalism of Pakistan’s security forces, reinforcing the state’s zero-tolerance policy and steadily eroding the operational space of khwarij networks.
Officials emphasised that Pakistan’s security forces will continue to expand intelligence-based operations to degrade Khawarij capabilities and eliminate safe havens.
