Pakistani soldier killed in attack along Afghanistan border

By Aamir Latif

KARACHI, Pakistan (AA) – A Pakistani soldier was killed in what the army said a terrorist attack from Afghanistan's soil.

The attack – latest in a string of ambushes – occurred in the restive North Waziristan tribal district, which sits near the border with Afghanistan and has long been a hotbed of militancy.

"Terrorists from inside Afghanistan across the international border opened fire on a military post in Hassan Khel Sector, North Waziristan district. Own troops responded in a befitting manner. During fire exchange, one soldier embraced Shahadat (martyrdom)," said a statement from the army's media wing.

"Pakistan has consistently been requesting Afghanistan to ensure effective border management," the statement further said, adding that Islamabad "strongly condemns the use of Afghan soil by terrorists for activates against Pakistan."

The Pakistan Army, it maintained, is determined to "eliminate the menace of terrorism and such sacrifices of our brave soldiers further strengthen our resolve."

Pakistan has seen a surge in terrorist attacks on its security forces, mainly along the porous border with neighboring Afghanistan, following the recapture of Kabul by the Afghan Taliban in August last year.

The Afghan Taliban are reportedly trying to mediate between Islamabad and the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, a coalition of several militant groups operating in Pakistan, a move failed to produce any breakthrough.

Islamabad is believed to have enjoyed a degree of say over the Afghan Taliban but this so-called influence has so far failed to yield any results in terms of the former's repeated demands for action against the TTP loyals holing up in Afghanistan.