Increased incursions by non-state actors from Afghan side: heavy artillery, tanks moved to border

Heavy artillery and tanks have been moved to the Pak-Afghan border in Kurram Agency, Parachinar, with additional deployment of paramilitary forces following an increase in terrorists' and non-state actors' incursions from Afghanistan into bordering areas, security officials and locals said. Background discussions with security officials on the ground and locals revealed that armed men with long hair and beards are seen roaming freely across the border in presence of Afghan security forces, pretending to be Daesh and Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) operatives, and are frequently engaging the Pakistani security forces in clashes.
Following an increase in their activities and the recent attacks on three Pakistani border posts, the officials said that security along the border has been enhanced by deploying additional paramilitary troops, and installing heavy weapons and tanks. They said that the local people have also been asked to cooperate with the security forces, as the non-state actors are allegedly operating in connivance with Afghan authorities and are posing security threat to the local population along the Pak-Afghan border.
The resident near Pak-Afghan border in Kurram Agency fear growing terror threats from state-sponsored militants to create unrest inside Pakistan.
The Afghan Embassy in Islamabad did not respond to the questions by Business Recorder on allegations levelled by the local security officials and the tribesmen. A paramilitary official who requested not to be named told Business Recorder that they have intimated the Afghan authorities to keep a check on suspected militants' presence on their side of the border in order to avoid any confrontation. But, he added, that Afghan officials are not monitoring their activities, saying "it is not possible to do a recce along the porous border for a possible militant intrusion".
Local elders and residents who are frequently being asked by the Pakistani paramilitary forces' authorities deployed on the border to remain vigilant in order to prevent any possible terrorist attack by these armed militants across the border on the local population, said that they have started guarding the border following a jirga with the local authorities who sought help of the local Turi tribesmen.
"We've also provided light weapons to security forces when requested, besides, up to 50 local volunteers are also assisting the security forces to keep a watch on the border at night," said a local elder in Borki, a village on the border. The local people also revealed that the authorities believe the non-state actors are Pakistani displaced persons who crossed into Afghanistan after the Zarb-e-Azb was launched and have been hired by the Afghan authorities to launch attacks on Pakistani troops. However, this was not officially verified, as both Foreign Office and Inter-Services Public Relation (ISPR) declined to comment.
After the Pakistan military launched the operation in North Waziristan on June 15, 2014, the UNNHCR claimed that 75,000 displaced individuals fled to Afghanistan to seek shelter across the border in Khost and Paktika provinces. However, the claims were rejected by Ministry of States and Frontier Regions (SAFRON), which stated that most of the 6,000 families who initially crossed into Afghanistan have already reached the country via Kurram Agency.
The local people further said that volunteers in villages including Kharlachi, Borki, Bughdi, Pewar, Tari Mengal and Muqbal along Pakistan side of the border, are on red alert to retaliate in the event of an attack on the local populace from the Afghan side.
They said that a week back militants launched an attack with heavy and light weapons on Behlol and Khosyare Ser border posts of the paramilitary troops in village Borki and the attack was repulsed by artillery from the Pakistan Army's 73 brigade based in Parachinar, the headquarters of Kurram Agency.
Earlier, the sources said that two other border posts, Ali Mangola and Mandatay Kandavo, were attacked by terrorists two weeks ago followed by retaliation by the paramilitary forces. However the number of casualties in all the three attacks could not be confirmed.
Meanwhile, various photos shared on the social media revealed that two tanks which were on their way to be deployed on the border are stuck in Kurram River in Bangash, Kharlachi area for the last three days and heavy machinery has been deployed to take them out.
When contacted Sajid Hussain Turi, Member National Assembly from Kurram Agency, said that the Turi tribe has given complete assurance of full cooperation to security forces and all the villages along the border have also volunteered their men to assist the paramilitary troops to defend the country. He said the local people also held jirgas with Afghan elders on the border but he was not optimistic about any cooperation from the Afghan side.