27 Armed Pakistanis Arrested Crossing İnto Afghanistan

A convoy of 27 Pakistani citizens, most of them armed, have been arrested while crossing the border into Afghanistan, the Afghan government said Thursday. 



"Twenty-seven Pakistani citizens traveling in a four-vehicle convoy that included a military vehicle, was halted by the Afghan police while entering into Afghan territory. Police seized AK-47 assault rifles, handguns, and a Motorola transmission radio," said a statement from the Ministry of Interior. "This is one of the biggest arrests of armed Pakistani militants holding ID cards of military and militant groups." 



The group was arrested while crossing into southeastern Paktika province Tuesday. 



The claim that some arrested held Pakistani military identity cards would support the Afghan government's persistent claims that Pakistan's army supports Taliban militants in Afghanistan. 



Mokhlis Afghan, spokesman for the governor of Paktika, said that those arrested were not refugees fleeing the Pakistani army's ongoing anti-militant operations in the bordering Pakistani region of North Waziristan. 



"More than 12,000 families crossed Afghan-Pakistani border in the past three months and took refuge in Paktika province after Pakistan army bombed and shelled Taliban militants in north and south Waziristan," said Afghan. "They are not part of those refugees because they crossed in the area which is not used by ordinary people."



Ministry of Interior spokesman, Sediq Sediqqi, said Afghanistan has long struggled with the problem of foreign militants operating on its soil, claiming they aim "to destabilize our government and terrorize our citizens."



Taliban militants have recently escalated their operations in several parts of Afghanistan ahead of the scheduled withdrawal of NATO forces by the end of 2014.



One of the worst affected provinces is Faryab, in northern Afghanistan, and its governor, Mohammadullah Batash, has accused foreign fighters of involvement in the fighting. 



"In a regaining operation against Taliban militants in Qaisar and Ghormach districts, 75 Taliban have been killed and more than 100 injured. There are Pakistani and Uzbek citizens among dead militants," said Batash. 



www.aa.com.tr/en - Kabil