ISLAMABAD: Pakistani security forces on Thursday successfully thwarted asophisticated infiltration attempt by Afghan Taliban elements who hadexcavated a tunnel beneath the Chaman border crossing to facilitate theentry of Balochistan Liberation Army operatives into Pakistani territory,official sources confirmed.
According to well-placed security sources, intelligence agencies receivedspecific information last week about unusual excavation activity on theAfghan side of the Friendship Gate at Chaman. Frontier Corps andintelligence personnel intensified surveillance and discovered a60-foot-long tunnel originating from Spin Boldak district in Afghanistanand extending several metres into Balochistan.
The tunnel, approximately three feet in diameter and width, wasprofessionally constructed with wooden supports and ventilation pipes,indicating substantial planning and resources. Sources revealed that thepassage was intended to smuggle trained BLA militants and weapons intoPakistan to carry out terrorist activities in Balochistan province.
Upon detection, Pakistani forces immediately sealed the Pakistani end ofthe tunnel and filled it with concrete after documenting the structure.Explosives detection teams also swept the area to ensure no additionalthreats remained. No casualties were reported during the operation, whichwas described as a major success in preventing cross-border terrorism.
The incident marks the first confirmed case of Afghan Taliban forcesdirectly assisting the outlawed BLA through such elaborate means. Securityofficials noted that the tunnel’s location near the main Chaman borderterminal demonstrated the audacity of the attempt, as thousands ofpedestrians and vehicles cross the frontier daily.
Pakistan has repeatedly accused elements within the Afghan Taliban regimeof providing sanctuary and support to TTP and BLA militants, charges thatKabul consistently denies. The latest development is likely to furtherstrain already tense bilateral relations, particularly as Islamabad hasbeen pressing the interim Afghan government to take decisive action againstanti-Pakistan terrorist groups operating from Afghan soil.
Border authorities have enhanced security measures along the 2600-kilometreDurand Line following the incident, with additional troops deployed andsurveillance systems upgraded. The Chaman crossing, one of the busiesttrade routes between the two countries, remains operational under strictmonitoring.
Read Top Stories
Source: https://www.dawn.com/news/1875421
Source:https://tribune.com.pk/story/2512345/security-forces-foil-infiltration-bid-via-tunnel-at-chaman
Tags: Pakistan, Afghanistan, Taliban, BLA, Chaman, Frontier Corps,Balochistan
ogimageimage-name
