HIBAPRESS – Agencies
On Thursday, Afghanistan launched a military attack on Pakistan, stating it was in response to deadly airstrikes targeting its territory days earlier, announcing the killing and capture of a number of Pakistani soldiers, while Islamabad denied this account.
Afghan officials reported that the operations targeted points along the border strip, following a series of clashes and raids carried out by the Pakistani army inside Afghan territory in recent months.
The Afghan government spokesperson, Zabiullah Mujahid, said via the “X” platform, that the operations came in "response to the repeated violations of the Pakistani army," pointing to the implementation of "large-scale attacks against Pakistani military bases and facilities."
The office of the governor of Kunar province, along with local residents, confirmed to Agence France-Presse the continuation of military operations in the region, while Afghan officials explained that the army is carrying out similar operations in other provinces.
In contrast, Pakistan announced that it is dealing with the attacks through "an immediate and effective response." The Pakistani Ministry of Information said, in a post on the "X" platform, that Afghan forces "unjustifiably opened fire on several locations" in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.
Mujahid told Agence France-Presse that the Afghan forces had taken control of more than 15 Pakistani military points within two hours, adding that "dozens of Pakistani soldiers were killed," and that 10 bodies were transferred to Kunar and other areas, in addition to the wounded and the capture of a number of live soldiers.
However, a spokesperson for the Pakistani Prime Minister, Shehbaz Sharif, denied "the seizure of any Pakistani points or causing damage to them," stressing that the Pakistani forces "inflicted heavy losses" on the Afghan army. There were no immediate reports of casualties on the Afghan side.
This escalation comes after Pakistani raids targeted Nangarhar and Paktia provinces on Sunday night. The United Nations mission in Afghanistan said that those strikes resulted in the deaths of at least 13 civilians, while the Taliban government announced that the death toll reached at least 18 people, denying what Pakistan announced about the killing of more than 80 militants.
The two sides also reported mutual firing across the border on Tuesday without recording any injuries.
Relations between the two neighbors have deteriorated sharply in recent months, with the closure of most land crossings since clashes broke out last October, which resulted in more than 70 deaths from both sides.
Despite holding rounds of negotiations that followed an initial ceasefire mediated by Qatar and Turkey, diplomatic efforts did not lead to a permanent agreement. Saudi Arabia also intervened this month, mediating the release of three Pakistani soldiers who were captured by Afghanistan in October.
Islamabad accuses Kabul of not taking decisive action against armed groups that carry out attacks inside Pakistan from Afghan territory, which the Taliban government denies.
The Pakistani army had carried out the latest wave of its air raids following a series of suicide bombings, including an attack on a Shia mosque in the Pakistani capital that killed at least 40 people, and the Islamic State organization claimed responsibility for it.
The "Khorasan Province" affiliated with the same organization also claimed responsibility for a suicide bombing that targeted a restaurant in the Afghan capital, Kabul, last month.
