(MENAFN- Pajhwok Afghan News) GARDEZ (Pajhwok): A majority of the fighters in ranks in border areas of southeastern Paktia province are foreigners most of them Pakistanis, local officials said on Thursday.
Officials in Janikhel, Dand Patan, Chamkani and Zazi Aryub districts said Pakistanis made a majority of foreign fighters who also included Chechens and others in these districts.
Dand Patan district police chief Mohammad Hafeez told Pajhwok Afghan News militants used to sneak the Pakistani border into various parts of the district for staging stage attacks.
He said foreign fighters fought alongside local comrades against Afghan security forces. He said local militants facilitated the foreigners in staging their attacks.
'We have seen militants during battles coming from across the border, many of them are Pakistanis but Chechens and other nationals are also among them,' he said.
He said the foreign nationals did not understand Pashtu and Dari languages.
Chamkani police chief Syed Zarif said a Pakistani militant had been arrested in injured condition during a clash with security forces in Janikhel district.
He said taking the dead bodies of militants to after clashes by the International Organization of the Red Cross was evidence of their presence in the border region.
'They fought with Afghan forces last year, they were in great numbers compared to a limited number of Afghan Taliban. Most of them were Pakistanis but they called themselves Afghans, they received all logistic supplies and weapons from across the border.'
Paktia governor's spokesman Abdullah Hasrat told Pajhwok that an injured Pakistani fighter from Punjab province was currently in police custody.
He said militants from their safe havens in Pakistani were main cause of insecurity in and the region.
The Taliban have denied the presence of foreign fighters in their ranks.
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