Pakistani Army Arrests 7 Militants, 20 Afghan Nationals in Separate Raids

The Pakistani Army announced in a statement Wednesday that over the past 72 hours it had detained 7 militants and 20 Afghan nationals in an intelligence-based operation (IBO) in the city of Attock in Pakistani Punjab province.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — According to the Inter Services Public Relations, the detainees had in their possession huge quantity of explosive, illegal weapons and ammunition, which were allegedly used for terrorist activities. The militants are likely to be associated with Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) terrorist group, which operates along the Afghan border in Pakistan.

"Pakistan Rangers Punjab along with Police and intelligence agencies carried IBO in Attock, DG Khan and Lahore. During the last 72 hours, 7 terrorists and 20 Afghan suspects were apprehended," the statement said.

The border between Afghanistan and Pakistan is often the scene of violence due to activity of terrorist groups, such as the Taliban radical movement and Daesh, both of which are banned in Russia.

The Tehrik-i-Taliban terrorist group is an Islamist group also referred to as Pakistani Taliban. The group is not directly affiliated with Afghan Taliban. The proclaimed objectives of the terrorist group include resistance against the Pakistani state and creation of alliances with other terrorist groups in order to fight against NATO-led forces in Afghanistan.