Afghan Troops Kill 60 Militants in Clash Along Pakistan Border

Officials Blame Haqqani Network for Raid From North Waziristan

A group of some 300 militants crossed the border from Pakistan’s North Waziristan Agency, marching on an Afghan Army base in the Paktika Province today, sparking a protracted battle.

The attack on the Ziruk District base was not a surprise, and Afghan forces had advance notice to get in position, allowing them to repel the strike, killing 60 of the attackers.

Afghan officials were evasive about their own casualties in the fighting, but reports have suggested at least five soldiers killed, with six soldiers and five police wounded. NATO air strikes were also involved in chasing off the militants.

And while there hasn’t been an official claim of responsibility for the raid, officials are blaming the Haqqani Network for the incident. That seems to be based on their influence in North Waziristan, but they are far from the only major Taliban faction there, so if they were truly responsible is still unclear.

Author: Jason Ditz

Jason Ditz is Senior Editor for Antiwar.com. He has 20 years of experience in foreign policy research and his work has appeared in The American Conservative, Responsible Statecraft, Forbes, Toronto Star, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Providence Journal, Washington Times, and the Detroit Free Press.