Pakistan responded after unprovoked firing by Afghan Taliban: PM’s aide

WEB DESK: The prime minister’s spokesperson for foreign media, Mosharraf Zaidi, said on Tuesday that forces of the Afghan Taliban opened unprovoked fire along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border in the Torkham and Tirah sectors.

In a post on X, Zaidi stated that Pakistan’s security forces responded “swiftly and effectively,” neutralising what he described as Taliban aggression. He warned that any further provocation would draw an immediate and forceful reply, adding that Pakistan remained committed to safeguarding its citizens and defending its territorial integrity.

The exchange of fire follows heightened tensions between the two neighbouring countries in recent days.

Air strikes in Nangarhar and Paktika

Over the weekend, Pakistan carried out overnight strikes in Afghanistan’s Nangarhar and Paktika provinces, targeting what officials described as terrorist camps and hideouts. A senior official said that more than 80 militants were killed in the operation.

According to a statement issued by the information ministry early Sunday, the action was taken in response to a series of attacks inside Pakistan, including a suicide bombing at an imambargah in Islamabad and assaults in Bannu and Bajaur.

The statement said Pakistan possessed “conclusive evidence” that the attacks were carried out by Khwarij at the direction of their Afghanistan-based leadership. It added that seven camps linked to the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan, referred to by the state as Fitna al Khwarij, as well as affiliates and members of the Islamic State-Khorasan, were targeted in intelligence-based, precision strikes along the border region.

Islamabad has repeatedly urged the Afghan Taliban administration to take verifiable steps to prevent militant groups from using Afghan territory to launch attacks against Pakistan, but officials maintain that no meaningful action has been taken.

Rising violence and deepening rift

Security officials say militant violence has surged since the Afghan Taliban returned to power in Kabul in 2021, with Pakistan repeatedly pressing for action against TTP sanctuaries across the border.

Tensions intensified after a Feb 16 vehicle-borne suicide attack on a joint security post in Bajaur near the Afghan border. Militants attempted to storm the Malangi check post before detonating an explosives-laden vehicle at its perimeter. Eleven Pakistani soldiers were martyred, while a young girl was killed and seven others, including women and children, were injured when a nearby residential structure was damaged.

Investigators identified the suicide bomber as Amad, alias Qari Abdullah or Abu Zar, and said he was linked to the Afghan Taliban’s special forces from Balkh province. The TTP claimed responsibility for the attack.

Days later, on Feb 21, a lieutenant colonel and a sepoy were martyred in a suicide bombing during an intelligence-based operation in Bannu district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

The military has reiterated that militants are operating from Afghan soil and vowed that operations against those responsible would continue without restraint. Earlier this month, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif also signalled that Pakistan could pursue targets inside Afghanistan if cross-border attacks persisted.

The latest flare-up marks one of the most serious escalations since border clashes in October last year, when intense fighting along the frontier resulted in significant casualties on both sides, according to military statements.