Forty-six Afghan soldiers, who crossed over into Pakistan recently, were "amicably returned" to Afghan authorities on Tuesday at Nawa Pass, the Pakistan military's media affairs wing said on Tuesday.
The soldiers entered and took refuge in Pakistan's northwestern Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province after losing control of a border post to the Taliban terrorists along the international border.
"These soldiers from the Afghan National Army (ANA) and Border Police were given safe passage into Pakistan, on their own request, by the Pakistan Army in Arundu Sector of the Pak-Afghan international border, Chitral on July 25," Dawn quoted the Inter-Services Public Relations' statement.
"After necessary clearance, the Afghan soldiers [had] crossed into Pakistan with their weapons, ammunition and communication equipment," the statement added.
Ever since the US announced to withdraw its troops from Afghanistan by September, the Taliban has stepped up its offensive against Afghan security forces, forcing hundreds of soldiers and other officials to seek refuge in neighbouring Pakistan, Iran and Tajikistan.
Afghan forces in recent weeks have come under a lot of pressure as the Taliban carry out attacks in Afghanistan cities.
In a similar incident on July 1, at least 35 Afghan soldiers had requested the Pakistan Army for refuge/safe passage due to the inability to hold their military post along Pakistan-Afghanistan International Border.
They were also given a safe passage into Pakistan and handed over to the Afghan government authorities after the due procedure, according to the Army.
Recently, CNN posted a video of Taliban terrorists were seen firing upon members of the Afghan Special Forces unit.
The killings reportedly took place on June 16 in Faryab province, in the north of Afghanistan close to Turkmenistan. The Taliban, in the meantime, denied the executions.
( With inputs from ANI )
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