Pakistan has stepped up its military operations along its border with Afghanistan, also known as the Durand Line, to quell the violence inflicted by TTP militants inside Pakistan. Islamabad has accused militants of using Afghan soil to mount attacks against Pakistani border forces.  

Local reports from both Pakistan and Afghanistan indicated intense shelling across the border since the last week as the TTP, commonly known as the Pakistan Taliban, continues their attacks from across the border. Some reports also indicated clashes between the Afghan Taliban commanders and Pakistani forces.

Over 14 security personnel were killed in attacks that Islamabad said originated from inside Afghanistan, in the last month.

Significantly, the Pakistan government has also revived peace talks with the TTP, whose leadership is reportedly based in Afghanistan, with the help of the Haqqani Network, one of the most powerful factions within the Afghan Taliban, according to reports in local media. 

The government has so far not officially confirmed any fresh attempts at reconciliation. 

Tribal leaders from the mountainous Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province reportedly met with senior TTP leaders in Afghanistan several times and conveyed the message of the Pakistan government. Significantly, earlier attempts for peace failed when the month-long-ceasefire ended in December last year. 

The revival of talks came at a time when Islamabad has also been facing pressure from Baloch insurgents in the restive Balochistan province. On Wednesday, the Pakistan military has announced that they had killed 10 Baloch insurgents, including their commander, in an intelligence-based operation. 

The security environment has been deteriorating rapidly in Pakistan since the Taliban’s return in neighboring Afghanistan. Earlier this month, the UN Analytical and Sanction Monitoring Team, in its latest report, said close to 5000 members of TTP are resident in Afghanistan.

US Central Command Chief General Kenneth McKenzie had also warned that terrorists are now focusing more on Pakistan since the departure of the US troops from Afghanistan. The frequency, as well as the scale of the attacks by Baloch insurgents, have also grown to an extent not witnessed in recent history.

 (SAM)