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Pakistan carried retired aerial strikes connected Afghanistan's large cities overnight, officials successful Islamabad and Kabul said connected Friday, sharply escalating months of borderline tensions betwixt the Islamic neighbours.The strikes targeted areas successful Kabul, Kandahar and Paktia aft days of cross-border occurrence on the Durand Line. Both sides accused each different of starting the latest circular of violence, with Islamabad declaring it was successful an “open war” pursuing retaliatory attacks by Taliban forces.The escalation marks 1 of the astir superior confrontations betwixt the 2 countries since the Taliban returned to powerfulness successful 2021, deepening an already strained narration marked by militant attacks, borderline closures and diplomatic tensions.
Background: Rising militancy and mistrust
The confrontation comes aft years of deteriorating ties pursuing the Taliban’s instrumentality to power.Pakistan had welcomed the takeover successful 2021, with then-Prime Minister Imran Khan saying that Afghans had "broken the shackles of slavery". But relations soon became strained.Islamabad says the enactment of militant radical Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and galore of its fighters are based successful Afghanistan. It besides says insurgents seeking independency for Pakistan’s southwestern state of Balochistan usage Afghan territory arsenic a harmless haven.
Militancy has accrued each twelvemonth since 2022, with attacks by the TTP and Baloch insurgents growing, according to Armed Conflict Location & Event Data.Kabul has repeatedly denied allowing militants to usage Afghan territory to motorboat attacks successful Pakistan. The Afghan Taliban accidental Pakistan harbours fighters from its enemy, Islamic State, a complaint Islamabad denies.Pakistani information sources precocious said they had "irrefutable evidence" that militants successful Afghanistan were down a question of attacks and termination bombings targeting Pakistani subject and police.
The sources listed 7 planned oregon palmy attacks since precocious 2024 that they said were connected to Afghanistan.One onslaught past week successful Bajaur territory killed 11 information unit and 2 civilians. Pakistani information sources said it was undertaken by an Afghan nationalist and claimed by the TTP.The TTP, formed successful 2007, has attacked markets, mosques, airports, subject bases and constabulary stations, and has gained territory mostly on the Afghan borderline and heavy wrong Pakistan, including the Swat Valley.The radical was down the 2012 onslaught connected past schoolgirl Malala Yousafzai, who aboriginal received the Nobel Peace Prize. It besides fought alongside the Afghan Taliban against U.S.-led forces successful Afghanistan.Pakistan has carried retired subject operations against the TTP connected its ungraded with constricted success. An violative that ended successful 2016 drastically reduced attacks for respective years, but unit has surged again since 2022.
Latest escalation
The latest warring began past week erstwhile Pakistani strikes connected Nangarhar and Paktika provinces killed astatine slightest 13 civilians, according to the UN ngo successful Afghanistan.
Afghan authorities described consequent attacks connected Pakistani borderline positions arsenic retaliation for those strikes.On Thursday night, Taliban forces attacked Pakistani troops deployed on the Durand Line, calling it retaliation for earlier deadly strikes. Cross-border clashes intensified, and Pakistan carried retired airstrikes successful parts of Kabul, Kandahar and Paktia.Afghanistan’s Ministry of National Defence said 55 Pakistani soldiers were killed successful retaliatory operations launched astatine 8:00 PM connected the 9th of Ramadan, corresponding to February 26."A fewer days ago, the Pakistani subject circles, with large audacity, violated Afghan territory, breached our borders, and martyred women and children here," the connection read."In these retaliatory operations on the Durand Line, a full of 55 Pakistani soldiers were killed, 2 bases and 19 posts were captured," the connection added.Pakistan rejected those claims. Mosharraf Ali Zaidi, spokesperson for Prime Minister
Shehbaz Sharif
, said astatine slightest 133 Afghan Taliban fighters were killed and much than 200 wounded.
He besides said 27 Afghan posts were destroyed and 9 fighters captured, denying that immoderate Pakistani soldiers had been taken prisoner.Pakistan’s Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said 2 Pakistani soldiers were killed and 3 wounded. Pakistani officials besides reported further losses successful strikes connected subject targets successful Kabul, Paktia and Kandahar.Following the Pakistani strikes, Afghanistan's spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid condemned the attack, calling the enactment by the Pakistani subject “cowardly”."The cowardly Pakistani subject has carried retired airstrikes successful definite areas of Kabul, Kandahar, and Paktia; fortunately, determination person been nary reported casualties," Mujahid said successful a connection connected X.
‘Ghazab Lil Haq’ operation
In retaliation for the latest clashes, Pakistan initiated the ‘Ghazab Lil Haq’ cognition targeting the Afghan Taliban regime, according to authorities media. State broadcaster PTV News said the cognition was launched successful effect to what it called “unprovoked aggression” from Afghanistan.Prime curate Shehbaz Sharif said Pakistan’s equipped forces are afloat susceptible of responding to aggression. “Our forces person the afloat capableness to crush immoderate assertive ambitions,” Sharif said, according to a station shared connected the Pakistani government’s X account. “The full federation stands enarthrosis to enarthrosis with the Pakistan equipped forces,” helium added.Pakistan’s defence curate
Khawaja Asif
said the state had tally retired of “patience” and present considers itself successful an “open war” with neighbouring Afghanistan.
He accused the Taliban of aligning with India and turning Afghanistan into what helium described arsenic a basal for hostile enactment against Pakistan."After the withdrawal of NATO forces, it was expected that determination would beryllium bid successful Afghanistan and that the Taliban would absorption connected the interests of the Afghan radical and bid successful the region...They gathered each the terrorists of the satellite successful Afghanistan and began exporting terrorism.
They deprived their ain radical of basal quality rights. They snatched distant the rights that Islam grants to women," his station read."Our cupful of patience has overflowed. Now it is unfastened warfare betwixt america and you. Now it volition beryllium 'Dama Dam Mast Qalandar'. Pakistan's service did not travel from crossed the seas. We are your neighbours; we cognize your ins and outs. Allahu Akbar," the Pakistani defence curate added.
