Pakistan launches military operation near Afghanistan border to combat militants; urges Kabul to take similar step

Islamabad: Pakistan says it has launched a new military operation near the Afghan border to combat militants. [caption id=“attachment_3442056” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Representational image. AFP[/caption] Major General Asif Ghafoor, an army spokesman, says an infantry division backed by air force and artillery will clear the Rajgal Valley in the Khyber tribal region. He says Pakistan has informed Afghan authorities and urged them to take similar measures on their side of the border. Afghanistan and Pakistan have long accused each other of turning a blind eye to militants operating along their porous border. Pakistan’s construction of a fence along part of the frontier has also caused tensions, as Afghanistan does not recognize the colonial-era line as an international border.