[Dawn] IT was the most audacious cross-border incursion by the TTP. Reportedly, hundreds of heavily armed militants stormed Pakistani security posts in Chitral last week. The intruders were said to have been beaten back after three days of fierce fighting but the situation in the remote district is far from normal. Tension continues to grip the region.There were some reports of the militants having infiltrated the border areas of the Kalash valley. The latest attacks in the treacherous mountainous region mark an expansion in the TTP’s cross-border operations. The strategically located northwestern part of Pakistan that borders Afghanistan’s Kunar and Nuristan provinces has become the TTP’s latest battlefield. The two Afghan provinces house the largest sanctuaries for the outlawed Pakistani militant group.
With reports of the militants amassing on the border and tensions building up in the region for some time, the raid didn’t come as a surprise. According to some reports, the attacks were led by TTP head Noor Mehsud. The timing of the attacks seemed well calculated as the country celebrated Defence Day on Sept 6. The clashes left casualties on both sides.