Source : INDIA TODAY NEWS
Afghanistan’s Taliban administration has announced the launch of retaliatory military operations against Pakistani border posts following recent airstrikes attributed to Pakistan. According to Zabihullah Mujahid, spokesperson of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, “large-scale offensive operations” were initiated along the disputed Durand Line in response to what he described as repeated provocations and violations by Pakistani military forces.
“In response to repeated provocations and violations by Pakistani military circles, large-scale offensive operations have been launched against Pakistani military positions and installations along the Durand Line,” Zabihullah Mujahid, spoksperson for the Taliban administration, said in a post on X.
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He added that Taliban forces have fortified large stretches along the Durand Line with advanced laser systems, asserting that these capabilities would “effortlessly annihilate” enemy mobile units under cover of darkness.
He further stated that Afghan fighters had captured multiple Pakistani military positions. According to his account, two posts in the Mashin Naw area of Dora Baba, three in Anargi (Goshta), and two in Doklam in Kunar province were seized.
Pakistan has not yet publicly confirmed these claims.
The Afghan statement marks a significant escalation in tensions between the two neighbours.
The spokesperson of the Taliban’s 201 Khalid bin Walid Corps stated that Afghan border forces had begun fighting in eastern provinces bordering Pakistan, claiming the action was a direct response to Pakistani airstrikes.
While details regarding casualties or the scale of the confrontation remain unclear, the rhetoric suggests a coordinated military reaction rather than a minor border skirmish.
Dozens of civilians, including women and children, were reported killed on Sunday in airstrikes carried out by the Pakistani military in two Afghan provinces bordering Pakistan, according to Afghan officials.
The strikes targeted areas in Nangarhar and Paktika provinces, with Pakistan describing the operation as “targeted strikes” against militant hideouts.
Afghan authorities did not release an exact death toll, but local reports indicated that at least 17 members of a single family were among those killed. The incident sharply escalated tensions between Islamabad and the Taliban-led administration in Kabul.
Reacting to the strikes, Zabihullah Mujahid strongly condemned the attacks. “Last night, they bombed our civilian compatriots in Nangarhar and Paktika provinces, killing and wounding dozens of people, including women and children,” he said.
Mujahid accused Pakistani military leaders of attempting to “compensate for their country’s security weaknesses through such crimes”.
Tensions between Afghanistan and Pakistan have been rising in recent months, largely over cross-border militancy and security concerns.
Islamabad has repeatedly accused Kabul of allowing Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) militants to operate from Afghan soil, a claim the Taliban administration denies.
The Durand Line, the contested border drawn during British colonial rule, continues to be a flashpoint, with periodic exchanges of fire and diplomatic strain.
Observers warn that sustained clashes could destabilise the already volatile border region, disrupt trade routes, and displace civilians.
Regional stakeholders are closely monitoring developments amid fears of broader escalation between the two neighbouring states.
– Ends
With agency inputs
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SOURCE :- TIMES OF INDIA
