PESHAWAR: The Afghan Taliban regime lodged a strong protest against Islamabad on Wednesday, condemning an airstrike conducted by Pakistani jets near the Pak-Afghan border in Paktika province. The strike, carried out the previous day, prompted Kabul’s foreign ministry to assert that Afghanistan’s territorial sovereignty is a "red line" for the Islamic Emirate.
“The foreign ministry of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan summoned Pakistan’s charge d’affaires and handed over a strong protest note regarding the bombing in Bermal district, Paktika province, near the Durand Line,” said a statement issued by Kabul.
The ministry denounced the "aggression by Pakistani military forces" at a time when a Pakistani emissary was engaged in talks with Afghan officials. The statement suggested that the deaths of civilians and refugees were an attempt by "certain quarters" to sow distrust between the two nations.
A separate statement from Afghanistan’s defense ministry was even more forceful, alleging that the majority of casualties from the strikes were civilians, including refugees from Pakistan’s Waziristan region.
Pakistan’s Response
Islamabad’s Foreign Office and the military’s media wing, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), have yet to comment formally on the strikes. However, a senior Pakistani security official, speaking to AFP, said the strikes targeted "terrorist hideouts," resulting in the deaths of at least 20 militants. Reports indicated that both drones and fighter jets were used in the operation.
The strikes coincided with the visit of Pakistan’s special envoy, Ambassador Muhammad Sadiq, to Kabul. The envoy held meetings with interim Interior Minister Sirajuddin Haqqani and Foreign Minister Muhammad Muttaqi to address security concerns, particularly regarding the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). Despite the airstrikes, the visit proceeded with Ambassador Sadiq also meeting Deputy Prime Minister Maulavi Muhammad Kabir and Commerce Minister Nooruddin Azizi to discuss bilateral matters related to peace, trade, and regional security.
Escalating Tensions
The airstrikes followed a deadly TTP attack in South Waziristan on Saturday, which claimed the lives of 16 Frontier Corps personnel. The attack prompted Chief of Army Staff General Asim Munir to visit South Waziristan’s regional headquarters in Wana on Sunday.
According to Pakistani security sources, the recent airstrikes targeted camps associated with the TTP, including a facility linked to its media arm, Umar Media. Reports suggested that over 60 militants were killed or injured, though these claims remain unverified.
Disputed Casualty Claims
While Kabul acknowledged that some of the deceased were "refugees from Waziristan"—a term interpreted by Pakistan as referring to TTP militants—the Taliban insisted that innocent women and children were among the victims.
Meanwhile, TTP-linked social media accounts refuted Pakistan’s claims, asserting that their commanders, including the head of Umar Media, Chaudry Muneebur Rehman Jatt, were alive and unharmed. The group even released a video featuring Jatt, though its authenticity has not been independently verified.
The developments underscore the fragile relations between Islamabad and Kabul, with both sides navigating sensitive issues involving terrorism, sovereignty, and regional stability.
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