US says safe havens for terrorists still exist in Pakistan

WASHINGTON: The United States has said that the safe havens still exist in Pakistan for terrorist groups to operate from and carry strikes out on Afghanistan.

US State Department acting spokesperson Mark Toner, in daily press briefing here Thursday said, “We’ve been very clear, while we understand that Pakistan has made efforts to confront terrorism and terrorist organizations on its own soil, that there are still what we call safe havens that exist for terrorist groups to operate from and carry strikes out on Afghanistan.”

The spokesperson went on to say, again, it’s in Pakistan’s interest to work with – constructively with Afghanistan to address those security concerns.

Commenting on dropping of ‘Mother Of All Bombs’ in Afghanistan by US, Toner said, it was aimed at a network of tunnels that was being used by terrorist organizations.

“I think it’s part of our ongoing efforts to take the fight to the Taliban, to take the fight to Daesh affiliates that are operating in that territory, al-Qaida affiliates that are operating on Afghan soil, and that’s going to continue.”