Pakistan Condemns Taliban Drone Attacks, Conducts Strikes in Afghanistan
ISLAMABAD (AP) — Pakistan’s president Asif Ali Zardari warned Afghanistan’s Taliban government on Saturday that it had “crossed a red line” by launching drone attacks on civilian areas in Pakistan, and hours later the country reportedly conducted strikes on an Afghan drone storage facility.
Escalating Tensions
Zardari’s statement marks the latest escalation in what has become the deadliest period of conflict between the two South Asian neighbors. Cross-border clashes, which began late last month, have continued despite mediation efforts by China and Turkey to establish a ceasefire.
Pakistan’s military reported intercepting drones launched Friday, but falling debris caused injuries to two children in Quetta and two other individuals elsewhere in the country. In response, Pakistan’s air force conducted strikes late Saturday in Afghanistan’s southern Kandahar Province, targeting a facility allegedly used to launch drone attacks into Pakistan. According to Pakistani state media, the facility was also utilized by both the Pakistani and Afghan Taliban for “acts of terrorism” within Pakistan. These strikes were intended to signal to Kabul that Afghan territory will not be permitted for cross-border attacks against Pakistan.
Afghanistan’s Response and Accusations
The Afghan Taliban government accused Pakistan of conducting airstrikes in Kabul, the country’s capital, and other areas in eastern Afghanistan on Friday, claiming at least six civilians were killed and 15 injured.
Kabul subsequently claimed its air force retaliated by targeting military installations near Islamabad, Pakistan’s capital, and in northwestern Pakistan. Pakistan has denied targeting civilians, asserting its operations are focused on Pakistani Taliban militants and their support networks. Islamabad has characterized the conflict as an “open war,” raising concerns within the international community regarding regional stability, particularly amidst the ongoing U.S.-Israeli war with Iran and its broader implications.
Afghan government spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid stated that Pakistani aircraft also struck fuel depots belonging to the private airline Kam Air near the airport in Kandahar, which he said supports civilian and U.N. Flights.
Underlying Issues and Accusations
Pakistan accuses the Afghan Taliban government of harboring Pakistani militant groups – primarily the Pakistani Taliban – who cross the porous border to launch attacks against Pakistani forces. Pakistan also alleges that the Afghan Taliban are allied with India, its regional rival. Kabul denies these accusations.
On Friday, a roadside bomb targeting Pakistani police killed seven officers in the northwestern district of Lakki Mawat. Zardari strongly criticized the government in Kabul, stating, “While the Afghan terrorist regime seeks negotiations with our friendly countries, it crossed a red line by attempting to target our civilians.”
Afghanistan’s Defense Ministry claimed on X (formerly Twitter) that its forces captured a Pakistani post and killed 14 Pakistani soldiers along the border in the eastern provinces of Kunar and Nangarhar. Pakistan’s Information Ministry dismissed this claim as baseless.
Diplomatic Efforts and Reactions
Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s spokesman, Mosharraf Zaidi, stated on X that the “Afghan Taliban are spending more time weaving fantasies” than addressing “terrorist organizations enjoying Afghan Taliban regime hospitality.” He emphasized that such propaganda would not halt Pakistan’s counterterrorism operations, stating, “Only the end of terrorism from Afghan soil to Pakistan will.”
China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi urged a peaceful resolution to the dispute on Friday, warning that the use of force would worsen tensions and threaten regional stability, according to China’s official Xinhua News Agency. Wang stated that China’s special envoy is working to promote restraint and encourage a ceasefire. The Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi expressed a desire for regional peace and emphasized dialogue as the only solution, urging China to play a greater role.
A Qatari-mediated ceasefire in October briefly reduced tensions, but subsequent talks in Turkey failed to yield a lasting agreement.
Qahar reported from Kabul, Afghanistan. Associated Press writers Kanis Leung in Hong Kong and Riaz Khan and Rasool Dawar in Peshawar, Pakistan, contributed to this report.