Pakistan moves heavy artillery to Afghan border

The Pakistan Army has moved heavy artillery towards the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, security officials said on Monday.

The move came just two days after the military "decimated" camps of the Jamaat-ul-Ahrar group on the Torkham border opposite Mohmand and Khyber tribal regions, Geo News reported.

The group, which claims to be behind the recent wave of terrorist attacks, has found safe haven in Afghanistan, according to the Pakistani security establishment.

Security sources said their forces have resolved to restrict illegal border movement and any attempt to breach border security will be responded with full force.

Security forces have stepped up patrolling in the areas along the Afghan border, while security has been put on high alert in North and South Waziristan agencies.

The stringent border checks were implemented after a week of deadly attacks by terrorists left over 100 people dead and injured in different cities of Pakistan, prompting a pledge of "revenge - immediate revenge" from Army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa.

Security forces have also indefinitely closed the border between Pakistan and Afghanistan.

Meanwhile, Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa has welcomed recent proposals by Afghan authorities to take forward the mutual coordination between Islamabad and Kabul against terrorism, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said on Monday.

"Enhanced security arrangements along the Pak-Afghan border are to fight a common enemy, that is, terrorists of all hue and colour," the army chief was quoted as saying during a high-level meeting at GHQ in Rawalpindi.

 According to the military's media wing, Gen Qamar directed the security forces to adopt "more effective border coordination and cooperation" with the Afghan security forces to prevent illegal cross-border movement of terrorists.

Four TTP commanders killed

Pak Security forces have killed four Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) commanders in an intelligence-based operation (IBO) in FR Tank district of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P).

According to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), army troops conducted an IBO in Ping area of FR Tank against Asmatullah Shaheen group of the TTP.

"Four wanted high profile terrorists: Commander Zaman alias Toofan, Umar, commander Wasiullah and commander Zulamdin alias Zulmat were killed," the statement said on Monday. "Weapons and ammunition also recovered."