Pakistan urges tightened border control to prevent arms, militants movement

by Abdul Hadi Mayar

ISLAMABAD, Oct. 22 (Xinhua) -- As Pakistan Army is engaged in a bloody conflict against hardcore Taliban and al-Qaida militants in South Waziristan tribal region, Islamabad has alleged that the insurgents are receiving arms supplies from the neighboring Afghanistan.

The allegation was made by Pakistan Army spokesman, Major General Athar Abbas while addressing a news conference in Islamabad on Monday.

He said the militants received arms, ammunition, and espionage equipment from across the Afghan side of the border.

Pakistan Army launched an intensive three-pronged attack against Taliban and al-Qa'ida militants in South Waziristan region along the Afghan border Saturday.

Pakistan army had earlier carried out two operations in South Waziristan in 2004 and 2007 both of which had ended in a peace agreement with the Taliban militants.

This time, the civilian government and military forces are determined to make a decisive strike against the insurgents, who carried out a number of terrorist strikes across Pakistan.

As U.S.-led forces are facing a fierce Taliban resurgence in the neighboring Afghanistan, Pakistan is since long under severe international pressure to launch a crackdown against militants in the restive border region.

In past, U.S. Predator drones have carried out dozens of missile strikes in Waziristan, killing a number of senior Al-Qa'ida and Taliban leaders.

U.S. officials have even been mulling direct military actions in these areas.

U.S. Vice President Joe Biden, while opposing US NATO Commander General Staley McChrystal's call for addition 40,000 US forces in Afghanistan, recently insisted on concentrating on Pakistani border areas which, he said, were used by the Taliban as a base for their activities in Afghanistan.