Afghanistan and Pakistan Exchange Deadly โคFire, Raising Regional Tensions
Kabul,โฃ Afghanistan & Islamabad, pakistan – Afghanistan and Pakistan engagedโ in their most intense โฃclashes in years this week, resulting in multipleโฃ fatalities and escalating regional instability. Pakistan launchedโค airstrikes in Afghanistan on Monday,โค targeting what it claimed were militant hideouts, in โresponse to attacks by Pakistani Taliban (TTP) โmilitants operating fromโฃ Afghan soil. Afghanistan’s defense ministryโ reported at leastโ three deaths,โ including women and children, and condemned the strikes as a violation of its sovereignty. Pakistan confirmed theโ strikes, stating they โคtargeted TTP members responsible โfor recent attacks โขwithin Pakistan.
The exchangeโข of fire marks a notable escalation in tensions between the two neighbors,who โshareโ aโ long and porous border. Pakistan alleges the TTP, which has increased attacks within Pakistan, is being sheltered by the taliban-ledโค government in Afghanistan – a claim the โTaliban denies.
International โคreactions have been swift, with callsโ for de-escalation. China, which recently facilitated talks between Pakistan and Afghanistanโ and holds economic interests in both countries,โฃ urged “restraint and dialog.” Russia also โcalled for a resolution “through diplomatic means.”โข
Former U.S. President โdonald Trump offeredโ to mediate, stating,โ “I’m good at solving wars, โขI’m good at making peace,” while traveling to Israel.
Experts โsuggest the โfutureโค of โthe relationship โฃhinges โon โขhow the Taliban addresses โthe TTP. “in terms of โคthe future of the relationship, a lot will depend on whether โฃthis escalation leads to a basic shift inโฃ how theโฃ Taliban deals with the TTP, whichโข is โreally the main issue,” said Michael โคKugelman, a โฃsenior associate for Southโ Asia at the Wilson โCenter. The โขTTP fought alongside โthe Talibanโฃ against U.S. and NATOโ forces, and the โฃTalibanโ has shown reluctance to crack โdown on the group.โค
The last airstrikes in Kabul by a foreign power were in 2022, when the U.S. killed al-Qaeda โleader Aymanโข al-Zawahiri. While the violence has eased, analysts โฃwarn the recent attacks could usherโฃ in a new era of instability. Pakistan views itself as a “stability provider for the region,” but a direct attack on Afghan soil โฃ”would cross a red lineโ in their relations,” โคaccording toโ Kugelman.