The 2011 Chitral cross-border attacks were a series of attacks that occurred in the Chitral district of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. The attacks were carried out by the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) who crossed from Afghanistan.
| 2011 Chitral cross-border attacks | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| |||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||
 Pakistan |
 Tehrik-e Taliban Pakistan | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
|
26 soldiers killed 10 policemen killed | 25 militants killed | ||||||
Background
editThe Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), had escalated their attacks in the western regions of Pakistan bordering Afghanistan. Numerous Pakistani Taliban fighters had sought refuge in Afghanistan as a response to military operations conducted by the Pakistani Army. In Afghanistan, they joined forces with allies to regroup and pose a threat to the border regions of Pakistan.[1][2]
The attacks
editOn 28 August 2011, 300 Taliban fighters infiltrated from Afghanistan and carried out a pre-dawn assault on Pakistani paramilitary posts situated in the Chitral district of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa.[1][3] This attack commenced by hundreds of Taliban fighters at approximately 4 am and persisted throughout the day.[4] The death toll for the Pakistani Army resulted from this cross-border attack increased to 32–36, with the recovery of six additional bodies belonging to Chitral scouts.[1][5][6][7]
The assault was aimed at checkpoints located in the border village of Arandu in the Chitral district, situated directly across from Afghanistan's Nuristan province.[3] These militants were believed to be affiliated with Pakistani Taliban factions that had previously sought to gain control in the Swat Valley. However, they were compelled to escape into Afghanistan in 2009 due to a successful military operation conducted by the Pakistani military.[2]
Protest
editPakistan formally registered a protest with the Afghan government regarding attacks. The Afghan Charge d’Affairs was summoned to the Foreign Ministry to convey this protest. Pakistan expressed its expectation that both ISAF (International Security Assistance Force) and the Afghan National Army would take concrete measures to prevent such incursions by militants and bolster border security to prevent such incidents from recurring.[7]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b c "Cross-border attack: Taliban militants kill 32 security personnel". The Express Tribune. August 28, 2011.
- ^ a b "Taliban Militants Striking Pakistan from Afghan Territory". 26 September 2012.
- ^ a b "Dozens killed in cross-border raid". France 24. August 28, 2011.
- ^ "25 security personnel killed Afghan-based militants raid Chitral posts". 27 August 2011.
- ^ "Dozens dead in border attack". www.aljazeera.com.
- ^ "36 Pakistani soldiers killed". The Times of India. 27 August 2011.
- ^ a b "Pakistan lodges protest over attacks in Chitral district". 28 August 2011.