Saudi Arabia, UAE, Kuwait Condemn Militant Attacks in Pakistan That Killed 19 Soldiers

KARACHI, Sept 15 (VoM): Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Kuwait, Qatar, and Türkiye have strongly condemned a series of militant attacks in northwestern Pakistan that left 19 soldiers dead, offering condolences to the families of the victims.

According to Pakistan’s military, at least 45 militants were also killed in multiple clashes near the Afghan border in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province this past week.

In South Waziristan, 12 soldiers and 13 militants linked to the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) were killed during a fierce firefight, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said. In another operation in the Lower Dir district on Sept. 11, security forces launched an intelligence-based raid that resulted in the deaths of 10 militants, while seven Pakistani soldiers were also killed.

Saudi Arabia’s foreign ministry issued a statement on Saturday condemning the attacks as acts of terrorism that undermine Pakistan’s security and stability. The UAE echoed this stance, reaffirming its “permanent rejection” of all forms of extremism and violence.

Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, after visiting wounded troops in Bannu, blamed militants crossing from Afghanistan for the surge in violence. He urged Kabul to make a clear choice.

“Today I want to send a clear message to Afghanistan: choose one of two paths,” Sharif said. “If they wish to build relations with Pakistan with sincerity, we are ready. But if they choose to side with terrorists and support them, then we will have nothing to do with the Afghan interim government.”

Islamabad has long accused the Taliban-led administration in Kabul of sheltering or facilitating the Pakistani Taliban, a claim Afghan officials deny, insisting Pakistan’s security challenges are internal.

Militant violence has escalated in KP since a fragile truce between the TTP and the Pakistani state collapsed in November 2022. Security forces, officials, and civilians have since been frequently targeted in ambushes, bombings, and kidnappings.

@Voice of Malaysia news