Afghan police accuse Pakistan of cross-border strikes after ceasefire ends
NN ONLINE:
Afghan officials claimed Friday that Pakistan carried out airstrikes in southeastern Afghanistan shortly after a two-day ceasefire between the neighboring nations expired.
According to Mohammadullah Amini Mawia, a police spokesperson in Afghanistan, the strikes hit areas in Paktika province and two other border regions. One of the attacks reportedly targeted a civilian home in Khanadar village, causing casualties. However, further details — including the method of the attack — were not provided. Pakistan has not commented on the accusation.
The strikes followed the end of a short-lived ceasefire that began on Wednesday, halting several days of intense clashes that left dozens dead and hundreds injured. Though no official extension was announced, diplomatic efforts to renew talks are ongoing. Qatar has reportedly offered to mediate future negotiations.
Hours before the reported Afghan strikes, a suicide car bombing — allegedly carried out by a faction of the Pakistani Taliban — struck a security forces compound in Mir Ali, a town near the Afghan border in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. The explosion sparked a gunfight, killing at least six militants and one soldier, local police said.
The Hafiz Gul Bahadur faction of the Pakistani Taliban claimed responsibility for the bombing, according to police official Irfan Ali. While the Pakistani Taliban is separate from Afghanistan’s ruling Taliban, the two are known to have links. Islamabad continues to accuse the group of using Afghan territory as a safe haven for launching attacks into Pakistan.
In Kabul, Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid confirmed that a Taliban delegation was preparing to travel to Qatar for talks. He reiterated that Afghanistan’s Taliban administration does not seek conflict with Pakistan or any other country.
Meanwhile, Pakistan’s state media announced that a senior delegation from Islamabad would also visit Qatar for negotiations, though no further details were shared. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Shafqat Ali Khan declined to confirm or deny any scheduled talks, saying a formal statement would be issued when appropriate.
Khan emphasized that Pakistan’s military operations have targeted only militant strongholds and urged Afghanistan’s Taliban government to ensure its territory is not used to stage attacks on Pakistani soil.
Since January, Pakistan has seen a sharp rise in militant violence, mostly attributed to the Pakistani Taliban (TTP). This surge in attacks has further strained already tense relations between Islamabad and Kabul, with Pakistan claiming that TTP leaders are being sheltered in Afghanistan.
In response, Pakistan’s military launched multiple operations in the border region this week, reportedly killing 102 militants. The current flare-up marks the deadliest clashes between the two nations since 2021, when the Taliban took control of Afghanistan after U.S. and NATO troops withdrew.
Tensions have worsened since last week, when Afghan officials accused Pakistan of conducting an airstrike in Kabul — a charge Pakistani authorities have neither confirmed nor denied. However, Pakistani sources said the intended target was Noor Wali, the leader of the Pakistani Taliban. The TTP later released a video claiming Wali is still alive and hiding in northwestern Pakistan.
Rising hostility is also affecting Afghan refugees in Pakistan. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif announced that 1.4 million undocumented Afghans have been repatriated under a phased plan that began in 2023. He said only those with valid visas would be allowed to stay in Pakistan.