The US has called upon the Taliban government in Afghanistan to prevent terror activities from its soil. It called upon the urgent need to protect civilians.
State department principal deputy spokesperson Vedant Patel said, “We have seen reports that Pakistan carried out airstrikes in Afghanistan in response to the attack in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan, on Saturday at a military post.”
“We deeply regret the loss of life and injuries sustained during the attack in Pakistan and the loss of civilian lives during the strike in Afghanistan,” he added.
The state department has urged both countries to chalk out their differences, while underlining the need for Afghanistan to curb terrorism.
“We remain committed to ensuring that Afghanistan never again becomes a safe haven for terrorists who wish to harm the United States or our partners or allies,” he noted.
Recently, Islamabad carried out airstrikes on suspected hideouts of Pakistani Taliban in Afghanistan killing at least eight people. The attack came days after seven Pakistani soldiers were killed in a suicide bombing.
The Pakistani government had described the strikes as “intelligence-based anti-terrorist operations in the border regions inside Afghanistan.”
The Afghan Taliban condemned the strikes and retaliated by “targeting Pakistan’s military centres along the border with heavy weapons.”
The Taliban in Afghanistan seized power in 2021 as the US and North American Treaty Organisation (NATO) pulled out of the country after a 20 year war. The return of the Taliban provided a safe sanctuary to the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).
The Afghan Taliban insist they do not allow the Pakistani Taliban to use their soil for launching attacks into the neighbouring country.
Bilateral ties between the countries have deteriorated after Pakistan expelled Afghans living in Pakistan without valid documents. Pakistan has housed about 1.7 million Afghans, most of whom fled during the 1979-1989 Soviet occupation of their country.
