ISLAMABAD, June 27 (Xinhua) -- A cross-border attack on Sunday by Afghan militants that killed 11 Pakistani soldiers has escalated the tension among Pakistan and Afghanistan and could imperil the much-needed peace and reconciliation labors by the neighboring countries.
Pakistan's civilian and military officials supposed that the militants used Afghan territory for the deadly Sunday attack on its check post in Dir region in the country's northwest region.
The Sunday's cross-border attack happened at a time when the two countries are exerting efforts to find a political explanation to the Afghan crisis ahead of the withdrawal of foreign armed forces.
Pakistan-Afghanistan combined peace and reconciliation efforts were deadlocked after the September's murder of Prof.
Pakistan insists that several key leaders of Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) have crossed into Afghanistan following main military operations over the past three years and now they are using isolated Afghan border regions for attacks on Pakistani border checkpoints and village.
The Afghan deputy ambassador here was summoned to the Foreign Ministry on Monday and a formal protest was lodged over the fresh Taliban incursion, officials supposed. The envoy was asked to convey to Afghan authorities that they have to take urgent steps to prevent such attacks in prospect.
Afghan Ambassador to Pakistan, Omar Daudzai, told Xinhua on Tuesday that Islamabad's "concerns and strain" have been communicate to Kabul.
He said that both countries should not fall prey to the conspiracy of the Taliban, their common opponent.
A spokesman for the TTP, who goes by a single name Sirajuddin and who is thought to be in Afghanistan, confirmed to the media in Pakistan via phone that Taliban fighters indeed ambush a convoy of Pakistani soldiers, killing six and beheading 7 more after they were kidnapped and taken to Afghanistan.
A Pakistani military official also confirmed the beheading of the soldiers in a report.
Pakistan insists that several top Pakistani Taliban leaders, counting the former chief of Taliban in Swat valley, Maulvi Fazalullah, the TTP deputy chief, Maulvi Faqir of Bajaur tribal region and Abdul Wali, TTP leader in Mohmand tribal agency have recognized bases in Afghanistan's Kunar and Nuristan provinces and launch attack on Pakistani border posts from there.
But the Afghan government has starved of Islamabad's claim and asks Pakistan to support their claims with pieces of proof.
Also on Friday, 2 Pakistani security men were killed and 2 others were injured when a mortar shell hit a border post in Mohmand Agency, official sources supposed.
The sources supposed a rocket was fired by militants from across the Pakistan-Afghanistan border.
There had been series of cross-border attacks in the past and Pakistani Taliban in a major attack in August previous year had killed 25 security men in northern Chitral region.
Pakistan's civilian and military officials supposed that the militants used Afghan territory for the deadly Sunday attack on its check post in Dir region in the country's northwest region.
The Sunday's cross-border attack happened at a time when the two countries are exerting efforts to find a political explanation to the Afghan crisis ahead of the withdrawal of foreign armed forces.
Pakistan-Afghanistan combined peace and reconciliation efforts were deadlocked after the September's murder of Prof.
Pakistan insists that several key leaders of Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) have crossed into Afghanistan following main military operations over the past three years and now they are using isolated Afghan border regions for attacks on Pakistani border checkpoints and village.
The Afghan deputy ambassador here was summoned to the Foreign Ministry on Monday and a formal protest was lodged over the fresh Taliban incursion, officials supposed. The envoy was asked to convey to Afghan authorities that they have to take urgent steps to prevent such attacks in prospect.
Afghan Ambassador to Pakistan, Omar Daudzai, told Xinhua on Tuesday that Islamabad's "concerns and strain" have been communicate to Kabul.
He said that both countries should not fall prey to the conspiracy of the Taliban, their common opponent.
A spokesman for the TTP, who goes by a single name Sirajuddin and who is thought to be in Afghanistan, confirmed to the media in Pakistan via phone that Taliban fighters indeed ambush a convoy of Pakistani soldiers, killing six and beheading 7 more after they were kidnapped and taken to Afghanistan.
A Pakistani military official also confirmed the beheading of the soldiers in a report.
Pakistan insists that several top Pakistani Taliban leaders, counting the former chief of Taliban in Swat valley, Maulvi Fazalullah, the TTP deputy chief, Maulvi Faqir of Bajaur tribal region and Abdul Wali, TTP leader in Mohmand tribal agency have recognized bases in Afghanistan's Kunar and Nuristan provinces and launch attack on Pakistani border posts from there.
But the Afghan government has starved of Islamabad's claim and asks Pakistan to support their claims with pieces of proof.
Also on Friday, 2 Pakistani security men were killed and 2 others were injured when a mortar shell hit a border post in Mohmand Agency, official sources supposed.
The sources supposed a rocket was fired by militants from across the Pakistan-Afghanistan border.
There had been series of cross-border attacks in the past and Pakistani Taliban in a major attack in August previous year had killed 25 security men in northern Chitral region.
