Troops kill 30 militants attempting to sneak into Pakistan from Afghanistan

Pakistani security forces killed 30 militants who attempted to enter the country from Afghanistan, the military said on Friday.

The militants belonged to the Pakistan Taliban or its affiliated groups, the military said in a statement accusing archfoe India of backing them.

"The security forces demonstrated exceptional professionalism, vigilance preparedness, and prevented a potential catastrophe," it said. "A large quantity of weapons, ammunition and explosives was also recovered," the statement added.

It said the members of the Pakistani Taliban were spotted overnight in the North Waziristan district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province and the troops seized weapons, ammunition and explosives from the militants. The military's statement did not mention if there was a gunfight or other details of the operation.

The military alleged the militants were backed by India and asked the Afghan government to prevent the use of its territory by "foreign proxies” to attack Pakistan.

There was no immediate comment from New Delhi. Pakistani authorities often accuse India of backing outlawed groups like the Baloch Liberation Army and Pakistani Taliban who commit violence in Pakistan. Such accusations have increased since a shooting in Jammu and Kashmir in April heightened tensions between the nuclear-armed nations.

President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif praised security forces for the successful operation.

Shahbaz lauded the security forces for "thwarting an infiltration attempt." "We are determined to completely eliminate all forms of terrorism from the country," his office said. The prime minister's statement also accused New Delhi of fomenting militancy in Pakistan.

Pakistani troops killed 54 insurgents in the same area in April.

miAgencies