ISLAMABAD – Situation remained worse at Pakistan-Afghanistan border, as Afghanistan’s Taliban-led government threatened to retaliate at an appropriate time after alleged Pakistani airstrikes.
Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid issued strong statement on social media, condemning the attacks as a “violation and crime” and reaffirming that defending Afghanistan’s airspace, territory, and people is the country’s “legitimate right.” He warned that a “suitable response” will be delivered at the right moment.
Kabul claims that Islamabad carried out airstrikes overnight on three eastern provinces, Khost, Kunar, and Paktika. According to Mujahid, in Khost’s Gurbuz district, the Pakistani military bombed the home of local civilian Waliat Khan, son of Qazi Mir, while airstrikes in Kunar and Paktika left four more people injured.
Pakistan vehemently denied the allegations. Army spokesperson Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry stated, “Pakistan does not conduct operations secretly,” signaling that Islamabad rejects claims of cross-border attacks.
The timing of the Taliban’s warning comes amid heightened violence in the region. On Monday, three suicide attackers struck the Frontier Corps headquarters in Peshawar, killing three officers and injuring at least nine people, including three more officers.
Tensions between the two countries have been fueled by the ongoing threat posed by the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), which remains a major point of conflict. Pakistan has repeatedly demanded that Afghanistan’s interim government take action against militants to prevent cross-border attacks.
The fragile peace in the region has already faced setbacks. In October, deadly clashes along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border claimed multiple lives, prompting urgent calls for calm. Although a ceasefire was signed under Qatar’s mediation that same month, subsequent peace talks in Turkey collapsed due to disagreements over militant groups, leaving the region on edge.
With civilians already caught in the crossfire, the latest warnings signal a potentially explosive escalation that could further destabilize an already volatile border region. Both nations now appear locked in a dangerous game of military brinkmanship, with the specter of retaliation looming large.
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