The Afghan Taliban forces on Saturday launched attacks on “several points” in Pakistan, following aerial bombardments by Pakistani aircraft earlier this week. The Afghan Ministry of Defense confirmed the strikes, claiming they targeted hideouts of “malicious elements” beyond the “hypothetical line,” a term used by Afghan authorities to refer to the disputed Durand Line border with Pakistan. The statement did not directly name Pakistan but emphasized that the targets were bases used to organize and coordinate attacks within Afghanistan.
“Several points beyond the hypothetical line, serving as centers and hideouts for malicious elements and their supporters who organized and coordinated attacks in Afghanistan, were targeted in retaliation from the southeastern direction of the country,” the Taliban’s Defense Ministry said.
Accoding to News 18, multiple attacks were launched on Pakistani posts in border areas, specifically targeting Kurram and North Waziristan tribal districts. While the exact number of casualties remains unconfirmed, local reports from Kurram indicate heavy exchanges of fire, with both sides deploying heavy weaponry.
Taliban officials described the strikes as retaliation for Pakistan’s airstrikes on Afghan territory earlier this week, which allegedly targeted hideouts of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). Pakistani officials had accused the TTP of orchestrating deadly attacks on their soil.
Taliban government spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid claimed that Pakistan’s airstrikes in Paktika Province killed 46 people, including women and children, sparking outrage across Afghanistan. “The Islamic Emirate will not leave this cowardly act unanswered, but rather considers the defense of its territory and sovereignty to be its inalienable right,” he said.
The Durand Line, a colonial-era boundary drawn by the British in the 19th century, remains a longstanding point of contention between Afghanistan and Pakistan. Afghan authorities have never recognized the border, calling it an artificial division of their tribal lands.
The recent clashes have further strained already tense relations between the two neighbors. Pakistan has accused Afghanistan of harboring militant groups that carry out attacks on its soil, a charge the Afghan Taliban denies.
A Pakistani paramilitary soldier was killed, and seven others were injured in cross-border exchanges earlier this week. Meanwhile, hundreds of Afghans staged protests against Pakistan’s airstrikes, condemning the loss of civilian lives.
The Pakistani military and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs have not issued a statement regarding the recent attacks. However, Pakistan had earlier justified its airstrikes, stating they targeted terrorist hideouts along the border.
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