On Monday, the Taliban responded with heavy fire to two Pakistani airstrikes in Afghanistan, killing eight people - five women and three children. Pakistan's strikes followed Saturday's attack by an armed group on a Pakistani military post near the Afghan border. Seven people died in the attack, including two Pakistani Army officials.
The Pakistani Strike
Confirming the airstrikes in the evening, the Pakistani Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) said that Pakistan carried out “intelligence-based, anti-terrorist” operations in the border regions in Afghanistan. Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid stated that the strikes occurred in the border provinces of Khost and Paktika around 3:00 am local time.
The FO said Pakistan accorded “prime importance” to Afghanistan’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and therefore, always prioritised dialogue and cooperation to confront the terrorist threat.https://t.co/yZZayLkuoj
— Dawn.com (@dawn_com) March 18, 2024
The attack targeted terrorists from the Hafiz Gul Bahadur Group, which, along with Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan, has carried out numerous attacks within the country, including the latest attack in Mir Ali in North Waziristan. The attack claimed the lives of a Lieutenant Colonel, a Captain, and five soldiers. Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari had vowed that the country would avenge the deaths.
“Over the past two years, Pakistan has repeatedly conveyed its serious concerns to the Interim Afghan Government over the presence of terror outfits, including TTP, inside Afghanistan,” the MoFA said. Mentioning that it has time and again urged Afghan authorities to deny safe havens to TTP, Pakistan said that these terrorists who have used Afghan territory to launch attacks on Pakistan are a threat to the country’s security.
Afghanistan’s Retaliation
After the strikes, the Taliban defence ministry said it retaliated by launching heavy weapons at the Pakistani military. “The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan does not allow anyone to compromise security by using Afghan territory,” the Taliban spokesperson said.
Mujahid condemned the Pakistani attacks, warning of dire consequences that Pakistan would be unable to manage. He urged Pakistan's new government not to deteriorate relations between the two nations due to the "reckless" actions of a few military generals.
“Pakistan accords prime importance to the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Afghanistan,” the Pakistani release had stated earlier while saying that the country has great respect for the people of Afghanistan. It called out some elements in the country for patronising TTP and noted that such an approach against a brotherly country signifies “shortsightedness.”
The Afghan Foreign Ministry summoned the acting head of the Pakistani embassy in Kabul and sent a letter of protest to him. Refuting Pakistani claims, the Afghan Taliban said it doesn’t allow its territory to be used by militant groups. “The country's defence and security forces are ready to respond to any aggressive actions and will defend their territorial integrity at all cost,” defence ministry spokesman Enayatullah Khwarizmi said on X.
Meanwhile, Pakistan said that it would “continue to work to find joint solutions in countering terrorism and to prevent any terrorist organisation from sabotaging bilateral relations with Afghanistan.” It urged elements in power in Afghanistan to “rethink the policy of siding with Khwarij terrorists, shedding the blood of innocent Pakistanis.”