U.S. State Department spokesman Ned Price said Tuesday that Pakistan «has the right to defend itself against terrorism,» following an announcement by the Pakistani Army against the Taliban.
«We are aware of the recent statement by Pakistan’s National Security Committee. The Pakistani people have suffered greatly from terrorist attacks and Pakistan has the right to defend itself from terrorism,» Price told a press conference.
The State spokesman also indicated that the Biden Administration «continues» to «call on the Taliban to uphold the commitment they have made to ensure that Afghan soil is never again used as a launching pad for international terrorist attacks.»
The Pakistani Army announced last week that it will «eliminate the threat» in the face of a spike in attacks by Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), known as the Pakistani Taliban, after announcing the end of the ceasefire declared as part of its contacts with Islamabad.
The Armed Forces indicated that Army Chief Asim Munir, who took office in November, led a meeting on a «thorough and professional review of the organizational affairs of the Army», without giving further details. He also revealed that during the meeting «it has been decided to fight terrorists without any distinction and eliminate this menace in line with the aspirations of the people of Pakistan».
The TTP has carried out several attacks, especially in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, during the last few months, while security forces managed to prevent a car bombing in the capital Islamabad last week, which resulted in the death of the officer who intercepted the vehicle.
The TTP, which differs from the Afghan Taliban in organizational matters but follows the same rigorist interpretation of Sunni Islam, brings together more than a dozen Islamist militant groups operating in Pakistan, where they have killed some 70,000 people in two decades of violence.
Source: (EUROPA PRESS)
