Islamabad:
Pakistan’s retaliatory strikes in Kabul last month targeting senior commanders of the outlawed TTP sent shockwaves through the Afghan Taliban leadership, resulting in a significant drop in cross-border terrorist attacks.
Sources told The Express Tribune that the cross-border operation in central Kabul was aimed at sending an unequivocal message to the Taliban government that Pakistan would not limit operations against terrorists to its territory.
A senior officer said that the Kabul operation had a clear psychological effect on the Afghan Taliban leadership and their security machinery. The Kabul attacks created a clear element of fear and caution in the Taliban leadership, who understood that TTP and other terrorist groups would be chased by Pakistan everywhere, including Kabul.
He said that immediately after the recent terrorist attack in Islamabad, the spokespersons of the Afghan Taliban privately contacted the Pakistani authorities and requested to reduce the tension and said that they were not involved in the suicide attack on the judicial complex in Islamabad.
He said that this is an unusual development, earlier Pakistani concerns about terrorist incidents were dismissed or blamed on the TTP.
This time he pleaded behind the scenes and emphasized that he has nothing to do with Islamabad terrorism. This is due to the Afghan Taliban’s fear of retaliation from Pakistan, who understand that Pakistan has access and capability to target targets inside Afghanistan.
He said that after the Kabul attacks, there has been a reduction in the number of cross-border terrorism on Pakistan, but the threat has not ended. The reduction in attacks is being seen as a result of the threat that Pakistan is ready to target high-value targets inside Afghanistan. The Taliban leadership has learned the cost of terrorism.
