Stop harbouring militants: Pak to Af Taliban amid uptick in attacks

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan's military chief warned the Afghan Taliban on Friday of an "effective response" by his forces if they fail to stop harbouring militants who plot cross-border attacks from Afghanistan.

The stern remarks by the army chief, Gen Asim Munir, came after two militant attacks this week killed 12 Pakistani soldiers in the country's southwestern Baluchistan province, which borders Afghanistan.

During a military meeting Friday in Quetta, Munir paid tribute to the fallen soldiers. Seven attackers were also killed by troops returning fire during the attacks on Wednesday.

Both the Pakistani Taliban, a separate militant group that is also an ally of the Afghan Taliban, and the extremist Islamic State group have a presence in Baluchistan. However, a newly formed militant group Tehreek-e-Jihad Pakistan claimed responsibility for one of Wednesday's attacks. That attack, in the Zhob district, left nine soldiers dead. It was unclear who was behind the other attack, in the Sui district, which killed three soldiers. AP