Pakistan military admits IS presence in country

AFP, RAWALPINDI, Pakistan: Pakistan’s military on Thursday admitted for the first time that the Islamic State group had a presence in the country but said it had apprehended hundreds of its militants and prevented them from carrying out major attacks. The army’s spokesman Lieutenant General Asim Bajwa said forces had foiled planned attacks by IS on foreign embassies and Islamabad airport, but denied the group was behind last month’s suicide blast on a hospital that killed 73, as it had claimed. IS gained its first toe-hold in the country in January 2015 when six Pakistani Taliban leaders switched their allegiance over from Al-Qaeda, but has since struggled for traction in the face of competition from well-established groups.

Pakistan military admits IS presence in country

AFP, RAWALPINDI, Pakistan: Pakistans military on Thursday admitted for the first time that the Islamic State group had a presence in the country but said it had apprehended hundreds of its militants and prevented them from carrying out major attacks. The armys spokesman Lieutenant General Asim Bajwa said forces had foiled planned attacks by IS on foreign embassies and Islamabad airport, but denied the group was behind last months suicide blast on a hospital that killed 73, as it had claimed. IS gained its first toe-hold in the country in January 2015 when six Pakistani Taliban leaders switched their allegiance over from Al-Qaeda, but has since struggled for traction in the face of competition from well-established groups.