Afghanistan accused Pakistan of escalating border conflict to divert attention from internal instability. Cross-border firing increased along the Durand Line. The Afghan army warned that any attack would be met with a double response.
Pak-Afghan Clash: Tensions have once again escalated to a peak along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border. The conflict and rhetoric between the two countries have made the situation serious. Afghanistan has accused Pakistan of engaging in a politics of lies and provocation against Afghanistan to divert public attention from its internal failures and chaos. Pakistan, however, claims it conducted airstrikes on militant hideouts in Kabul.
The Afghan government has warned Pakistan not to attempt to escalate tensions along the Durand Line, or the consequences for Pakistan could be very severe. The Afghan side claims that in this latest conflict, their counter-attack resulted in the deaths of 58 Pakistani soldiers and Afghan forces gained control of 25 outposts.
Afghan Government Alleges – 'Pakistan is Busy Hiding Its Failures'
Zabihullah Mujahid, Chief Spokesperson for the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, directly attacked Pakistan, stating that Pakistan is spreading false propaganda against Afghanistan. He said, "Afghanistan has seen stability in recent months. The country is moving towards development, but Pakistan is not pleased with this progress."
According to Zabihullah, Pakistan is trying to conceal its country's poor economic situation, political crisis, and failures related to terrorism. This is why it is attempting to spread instability in the region by making false accusations against Afghanistan.
He stated that the Afghan army is fully vigilant, and if Pakistan undertakes any provocative action on the border, it will receive a b response.
Tensions Escalate Along the Durand Line
The Durand Line, considered the international border between Afghanistan and Pakistan, has once again become a flashpoint. This line has been a subject of dispute between the two countries for a long time. Afghanistan has never formally accepted it, while Pakistan considers it its official border.
Over the past few months, incidents of firing and skirmishes have increased along this disputed border. Recently, Pakistan claimed that some terrorist organizations were infiltrating its borders from Afghanistan, prompting airstrikes to prevent them. However, Afghanistan completely rejected this claim, calling it "a violation of international law."
Airstrike on Kabul
On Friday night, Pakistan carried out airstrikes in some areas around Kabul. Pakistan stated that these attacks targeted militant hideouts that were plotting attacks against it. However, Afghanistan called this claim false and asserted that Pakistan had targeted innocent civilians.
The Afghan army immediately retaliated with a counter-attack on the border. The Afghan government states that in this conflict, 58 Pakistani soldiers were killed and 25 Pakistani outposts were captured. However, the Pakistani army has only confirmed the deaths of 23 soldiers.
Afghanistan's Warning – 'We Will Not Remain Silent'
The Afghan government issued a stern warning to Pakistan, stating that if any attempt at an attack is made from across the border, Afghan forces will respond with double force. Zabihullah Mujahid said, "We seek peace, but we can go to any length to defend our sovereignty. Pakistan should not forget that Afghanistan is no longer weak."
He further added that Pakistan's army must understand that any aggressive step against Afghanistan would be costly for them. "Our people are now united in our country, and we will not allow any external force to violate our border."
Pakistan's Response – 'We Acted for Security'
Pakistan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated on the entire matter that its actions were taken with national security in mind. The statement said that militant organizations are active in certain parts of the Afghan border, posing a threat to Pakistan. Therefore, in light of security, these airstrikes were necessary.
