PAKISTAN, AFGHANISTAN OPEN FIRE AT BORDER AFTER 8 KILLED

Mon 18 March 2024:

The Taliban said Monday that Pakistan had carried out airstrikes in the early hours of the morning, which left eight people dead in Paktika and Khost provinces.

According to a statement issued by the Taliban, the airstrikes took place at about 3am in the Barmal district in Khost province and Sepira district in Paktika province.

Six people were killed in Paktika, including three women and three children, and another two women were killed in Khost.

Taliban government ‘strongly condemns’ attack

The Taliban said it was targeting a man named Abdullah Shah. However, Shah is in Pakistan at the moment, the Taliban claimed adding that there is a tribe living on both sides of the border and cross between the two countries daily.

Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said the person Pakistan is targeting is Commander Abdullah Shah. Mujahid also released a video to the media.

“This commander exists in Waziristan, which Pakistani forces do not see him there, but under the pretext attacking Afghanistan’s territory,” Mujahid said.

The Islamic Emirate has strongly condemned the airstrikes and said it is a “reckless violation” of Afghanistan’s territory.

Pakistan president promises retaliation if attacked

On Sunday, Pakistan’s President Zardari spoke at the funeral of the two officers, promising retaliation.

“This noble sacrifice stands as another glorious testament to the unflinching resolve of our gallant sons, who have never hesitated to offer the ultimate sacrifice for the defence of our motherland,” he was quoted by the state news agency as saying.

Defence Minister Khawaja Asif also claimed that fighters are using Afghan soil to carry out terrorist attacks inside Pakistan.

“Terrorism against us is mostly being conducted from Afghanistan,” he said.

Long experience of freedom struggle

The Taliban also cautioned Pakistan against carrying out such attacks saying they have a “long experience of freedom struggle against the superpowers of the world.”

The Taliban also called on the people of Pakistan and the new civilian government to stop some army generals from engaging in action against Afghanistan – as they have done for over 20 years – thereby souring relations between the two nations.

According to the Taliban, Pakistan should not blame Afghanistan for the lack of control, incompetence and problems in its own territory, because such incidents can have very bad consequences that cannot be controlled by Pakistan.

Pakistan has repeatedly accused the Taliban of not cracking down on militant groups in Afghanistan.

However, the Taliban has repeatedly denied these allegations and says they will not allow any militant group to pose a threat to another country from Afghanistan.

Taliban says its forces targeted Pakistani military along border