The recent Taliban border attacks in Pakistan have pushed the country deeper into political and security turmoil. Heavy clashes along the Durand Line have claimed lives and heightened tensions between Islamabad and Kabul.
New Delhi: In a sudden retaliation, Taliban border attacks in Pakistan have reportedly inflicted severe casualties on the country’s security forces along the Durand Line since late Saturday. The latest escalation highlights rising tensions between Afghanistan’s Taliban regime and Pakistan, further worsening the region’s fragile security situation.
Tensions along the disputed Durand Line have led to several clashes, forcing the border to close many times and hurting one of Afghanistan’s main trade routes.
The fighting grew worse after Pakistan suddenly bombed Afghan cities, including Kabul, earlier this week.
The violence happened at the same time as Afghanistan’s Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi’s visit to India. After his talks with India’s Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar, the two leaders released a joint statement that upset Pakistan by saying Jammu and Kashmir is part of India.
On October 10, Jaishankar thanked Afghanistan for strongly condemning the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam that killed 26 people. In response, Pakistan grew angry after Muttaqi said terrorism is an internal problem for his country.
Defence Minister Khawaja Asif warned that Pakistan would strike inside Afghanistan against groups he believes are attacking Pakistan. But Kabul rejected the claim and said Afghan land will not be used to harm any neighbor.
Afghanistan’s Defence Ministry again warned Pakistan over airspace violations and past airstrikes in Paktika. Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry did not confirm the latest strikes in Kabul but said they were part of “counterterrorism operations” against militants across the border, according to Khaama News.
Pakistan’s air force attacked Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) bases, trying to kill its leader, Noor Wali Mehsud. Early Sunday, after the Taliban counterattack, former US Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad wrote on X:
“Today’s fighting began after Pakistan’s air strikes earlier in the week. The aim seems to be revenge and deterrence.”
Two days before, the same diplomat, who helped broker the 2020 US-Taliban peace deal, said Pakistan had been “recklessly supporting ISIS operatives” and warned that more fighting would only cause more deaths and destruction.
Khalilzad urged both sides to talk again and work to remove terrorist camps along the Durand Line.
Pakistan now faces a deep crisis that threatens both its stability and security. The latest border clashes have made things worse for a government already struggling with political, economic, and diplomatic troubles.
The country is still dealing with violence in Balochistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), deadly fights in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and the rise of hardline groups. With its weak economy adding to the pressure, Pakistan is now paying the price for years of backing militant groups that spread violence across the region.
–IANS
