ISLAMABAD, July 21 (Xinhua) -- Pakistani ground forces, backed by air power, are currently conducting a major operation in a rugged mountainous region to dismantle the hideouts of armed groups, especially Daesh or the so-called Islamic State, and to block their cross-border movement.
The operation in the Khyber tribal region is focused on Rajgal Valley, located at a height of nearly 4,200 meters above sea level, and the eight passes of which the militants now use to enter Pakistan for their activities.
They had previously been exploiting the absence on the ground of Pakistani forces in Rajgal, which borders Afghanistan's eastern Nangarhar province. The United States dropping of the so-called "Mother of All Bombs" in Nangarhar in April to eliminate a hideout of the Islamic State's fighters was a strong indication of the Daesh group's prevalence in the region.
Although the Pakistan military has cleared most areas held by the Taliban and other militant groups in seven tribal regions, the militants still use inaccessible routes in rugged mountains for cross-border movements to carry out attacks.
As Pakistani officials insist on a "zero tolerance" policy for Daesh, the army started a new, large-scale operation codenamed "Khyber 4" despite the fact that the army is heavily stretched in tribal regions close to the borders with Afghanistan, as well as in Pakistan-controlled Kashmir, in view of the escalations along the Line of Control in recent months.
Pakistan military spokesperson Major General Asif Ghafoor told local media on July 16 that Indian forces have committed 580 ceasefire violations so far this year, which he described as the "highest in any year."
In view of losing ground in Pakistan, different militant groups now coordinate attacks in spite of their differences, to terrorize the people and show their continued existence through attacks on soft targets and target killings. The security forces have recently disclosed that Daesh has managed attacks with sectarian group "Lashkar-e-Jhangvi" involving large-scale attacks on security forces and Shiite Muslims.
Lashkar had claimed responsibility for twin deadly suicide bombings in a crowded marketplace in the tribal city of Parachinar last month, killing over 80 people and injuring nearly 200. All of those killed and injured were civilians, indicating the seriousness of the challenge Pakistan faces as banned groups have now adopted the policy to carry out massacres in sectarian attacks.
