Pakistan, Afghanistan trade accusations as both claim killing dozens of militants

Pakistan and Afghanistan on Sunday claimed to have killed dozens of militants, while accusing each other of supporting “terrorist” activities.

Islamabad said its forces killed 71 militants “backed and sponsored” by Afghanistan and India in security operations across southwestern Balochistan province over the past 96 hours.

Weapons, ammunition and explosives were also recovered during the operations, Pakistan Army said in a statement.

Kabul and New Delhi have so far not responded to Islamabad’s accusation.

Afghanistan, for its part, said on Sunday its forces killed 28 militants and wounded 32 in the eastern province of Nuristan after alleged ISIS (Daesh) ‌operatives crossed from Pakistan.

Kabul’s Defense Ministry accused “Pakistani militias” of supporting the slain militants, adding that most of them were security personnel of the former Afghan government.

Pakistan, however, rejected the claim as “frivolous, baseless and devoid of any truth.”

“Pakistan categorically rejects the fabricated claims of involvement by its security forces or intelligence agencies in any internal clashes in Nuristan or elsewhere in Afghanistan, including allegations of recruiting or training former Afghan security personnel or facilitating Daesh or any other terrorist group operating in Afghanistan,” the Information Ministry said in a statement.

Pakistan, which has seen a series of militant attacks on its soil in recent years, accuses India and Afghanistan of patronizing militant groups.

India and Afghanistan reject the accusations.