Afghanistan Taliban targets “several points” in Pakistan, tensions increase

Afghanistan’s Taliban forces targeted “several points” in Pakistan on Saturday, Taliban said, days after Pakistani aircraft carried out aerial bombardments inside the country, as per Al Jazeera.

The statement, which was released by Taliban did not directly specify that Pakistan was hit, but said the attacks were conducted “beyond the “hypothetical line” – an expression used by Afghan authorities to refer to a border with Pakistan which has been in dispute since long.

“Several points beyond the hypothetical line, serving as centres and hideouts for malicious elements and their supporters who organised and coordinated attacks in Afghanistan, were targeted in retaliation from the southeastern direction of the country,” Al Jazeera quoted Taliban as saying.

Asked whether the statement referred to Pakistan, Taliban spokesperson Enayatullah Khowarazmi said, “We do not consider it to be the territory of Pakistan, therefore, we cannot confirm the territory, but it was on the other side of the hypothetical line.”

Afghanistan has rejected the Durand Line, a border between Pakistan and Afghanistan, which was drawn by the Britishers in the 19th century, as per Al Jazeera. The Taliban sees it as a divisive line between Pashtuns on both sides of the border.

“Clarity! Several points on the other side of the virtual line “Durand” in the south-eastern direction of the country were targeted, which were hideouts and centers for evil elements and their supporters, who were organizing attacks in Afghanistan,” Taliban said in a post on X.

There are no reports of casualties from either side, Al Jazeera reported.

Afghanistan has a complicated history with Pakistan. While Pakistan welcomed the Taliban in Kabul as a natural ally, the Taliban government is proving to be less cooperative than Pakistan had hoped. The current Talibani regime is trying to align itself with the nation’s rhetoric as they are trying to form a ‘government’ as a metamorphosis from a fighting group. The regime is also trying to forge relations beyond heavy reliance on Pakistan, as per Al Jazeera.