Taleban: "45 Civilians Killed in Pakistan Army Border Airstrikes and Shelling"

Taleban Government Summons Pakistani Ambassador to Protest
Afghan Residents Hold Demonstrations Condemning Pakistan

Pakistani Military Appears to Attack Terrorist Strongholds

At the entrance of Wazir Akbar Khan Islamic Mosque in Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan, residents are reaching out with desperate expressions on the 14th (local time) to receive free Ramadan food being distributed. (Image source=EPA Yonhap News)

[Asia Economy Reporter Moon Chaeseok] The Taliban, the ruling power in Afghanistan, claimed that dozens of its citizens living near the border died due to attacks by the Pakistani military, according to reports from foreign media including dpa news agency and Afghan media on the 16th (local time). Taliban regional officials told dpa news agency, "Airstrikes and shelling by the Pakistani military occurred near the Afghanistan-Pakistan border, resulting in the deaths of more than 45 people, including children and women." According to the Taliban, on the night of the 15th, airstrikes by the Pakistani military took place in several areas including Aowa in eastern Host province, killing more than 40 civilians and injuring 20. In northeastern Kunar province, shelling continued over the past few days, resulting in the deaths of five children and one woman.

Afghan Haama News Agency, citing government officials and residents, reported that nearly 40 people died in Host and Kunar provinces due to attacks by the Pakistani military. Pakistani media reported that the Pakistani military targeted bases of the Islamic extremist terrorist group Pakistan Taliban (TTP).

The TTP uses the name "Taliban" but is a separate organization from the Taliban that took control of Afghanistan last year. The group was formed in 2007 as a coalition of 13 Islamic militant groups within Pakistan and views the current Pakistani government as a "puppet of the United States," aiming to establish an Islamic state in Pakistan. They mainly operate in northern Afghanistan and Pakistan and have carried out several shootings across the Afghan border into Pakistan in February and March, killing Pakistani soldiers. They have also carried out multiple terrorist attacks in northern Pakistan.

In response, the Taliban government summoned the Pakistani ambassador to Afghanistan to strongly protest. Zabihullah Mujahid, spokesperson for the Taliban government, said, "We strongly condemn the shelling and attacks by Pakistan that occurred within Afghan territory," adding, "If a war breaks out, it will benefit neither side." He further warned, "Do not test Afghanistan's patience."

In Host province, protests blaming Pakistan for the attacks also took place.

Regarding the situation, the Pakistani military has not issued an official response. The Pakistani embassy in Afghanistan claimed that no airstrikes had occurred as reported by the media. Instead, the Pakistani Ministry of Foreign Affairs strongly warned the Taliban on the 17th not to protect terrorists within Afghanistan. The ministry pointed out that "terrorists are using Afghan territory to operate and roam inside Pakistan," and that Taliban leaders are hardly preventing TTP activities. It added, "In recent days, conflicts have significantly increased along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border," and that Pakistani security forces have been attacked from across the border.

It is very unusual for Pakistan to exchange such openly harsh rhetoric with the Taliban. This raises the possibility that the previously quite friendly relations between the two sides could rapidly cool. Pakistan has long supported the Taliban and advocated for international engagement with them, but signs of change in this stance are also emerging. Imran Khan, who had supported the Taliban, recently stepped down after a parliamentary no-confidence vote, and Shehbaz Sharif, known for his pro-American stance, was elected as the new prime minister.

Among experts, it has been widely accepted that the Taliban grew stronger with Pakistan's military support since its formation in the mid-1990s. In particular, the Pashtun ethnic group living in Pakistan has consistently supported Taliban fighters trained in madrassas (Islamic schools). The Pashtuns, who also widely inhabit southern Afghanistan, form the Taliban's power base. However, Afghanistan and Pakistan have had tensions over the border line (Durand Line). The Durand Line was drawn in 1893 through an agreement between British India and the Afghan ruler, but Afghanistan refuses to recognize this line that cuts through Pashtun-inhabited areas.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.