Cross border aggression: Souring tensions between Afghanistan and Pakistan

At least eight people, all of them civilians, including three children and five women, lost their lives in Pakistani airstrikes in two bordering provinces of Afghanistan on March 18.  Pakistan Air Force jets bombed residential areas in the Lamana area in Spera district in Khost and the Barmal district of Paktika around 03:00 am local time and the airstrikes come two days after a terror attack by the Pakistani Taliban claimed the lives of seven Pakistani soldiers in Waziristan.

The caretaker government of the Taliban has strongly condemned Pakistani airstrikes and vowed to respond and avenge the killing of innocent Afghans.

According to the Taliban statement, six civilians were killed in Paktika and two more in Khost province and considered the attack as a clear violation of Afghanistan’s sovereignty and an invasion of the country’s territory.

“Pakistan should stop blaming Afghanistan for its inability to manage security incidents within its borders,” the statement reads and re-emphasized that they will not let Afghanistan soil to be used against any other countries.

The latest escalation is likely to further increase tension between the two neighboring countries, Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Pakistan claimed it has targeted TTP commander

Pakistani media has reported that the airstrike was aimed to target members of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) in Khost and Paktika provinces. However, it is not clear how deep inside Afghanistan the Pakistani jets flew and it’s the second airstrike since 2022 when Pakistan targeted militant hideouts in Afghanistan but the Pakistani military has never officially confirmed those attacks.

This also comes days after seven Pakistani military personnel, including two officers were killed after suicide bombers targeted their security post following exchange of heavy fire in the northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.

Pakistan and Afghan security forces exchanged heavy fire on Monday morning following the launch of Pakistan Air Force cross-border aerial strikes in Afghanistan.

The incident took place early Saturday morning, and just within some hours, a group of six militants attacked a security post in the Mir Ali area of North Waziristan tribal district. The attack has been foiled by the Pakistani security forces, the Pakistan’s media wing said in a statement.

The statement furthered; “The terrorists rammed an explosive-laden vehicle into the post, followed by multiple suicide bombing attacks, which led to the collapse of a portion of a building, resulting in “martyrdom” of five soldiers.”

During the intensive exchange of fire between force and militants, two army officers, Lieutenant Colonel Syed Kashif Ali and Captain Muhammad Ahmed Badar, were killed, the statement added.

TTP commander Abdullah Shah is alive and he is Pakistan

However, the Pakistani army had claimed that they had targeted TTP commander Abdullah Shah in Afghanistan with the airstrikes. However, this has been turned wrong.

Soon after Pakistan, Shah, the commander of TTP, released a video refuting the claim and said that he is alive and currently living in Waziristan of Pakistan.

“It is all propaganda. Today is the 18th of March and I am right now in Nort Waziristan and alive. We have not moved anywhere from here and we are here in Waziristan since the beginning,” Shah said in the video clip.

Taliban denies charge sheltering TTP

Pakistan has time and again accused Afghanistan for failing to prevent militants from TTP from carrying out attacks in Pakistan. Pakistan also asked the Afghan government to stop sheltering the TTP leaders, an accusation that the Afghan government rejected in the strongest terms. The Afghan government under the Taliban leader has always denied sheltering the TTP and reaffirmed its commitment not to allow its soil to be used against any country in the regional countries.

Afghan Defense Ministry Mujahid has appeared in a military uniform for the first time after Pakistani airstrikes.

The Taliban acting defense minister, Mullah Yaqoob Mujahid had instructed the Afghan security forces to respond to the Pakistani airstrike through rockets.

Afghan forces targeted areas within Pakistan’s jurisdiction in KP

Under his directive, the Afghan forces had initiated artillery barrages from the Dand-e-Patan district of Paktia proivnce and targeted areas within Pakistan’s jurisdiction in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP). Videos from the site have been circulating on social media, showing Afghan forces using the BM-21, a self-propelled 122 mm multiple rocket launcher in the ongoing exchange of fire.

Afghan defense minister in military uniform for the first time

Defense Ministry has published a picture of Mujahid, who appeared in a military uniform for the first time after Pakistani airstrikes, and the ministry in a statement in X said that in response to this aggression, the border forces of the National Army of Afghanistan targeted Pakistan’s military center along the Durand Line with heavy weapons.

“The Afghan security forces are committed to protect their land under all circumstances and claim that they have destroyed two security posts of the Pakistani army. Afghan foreign ministry also summoned Pakistani ambassador to Kabul and handed over its protest letter and strongly condemned Pakistani airstrikes in  Khost and Paktiak provinces.

But now the situation has become normal and the Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said that the situation in the bordering area is calm and the fighting has stopped.