Afghan Taliban Protests Pakistani Airstrike in Paktika
The Afghan Taliban lodged a strong protest with Pakistan on Wednesday over an airstrike carried out by Pakistani jets near the Pak-Afghan border, calling it an infringement on Afghanistan’s territorial sovereignty. The airstrike took place in the Bermal district of Paktika province, close to the Durand Line.
In response, Afghanistan’s foreign ministry summoned Pakistan’s charge d’affaires and handed over a formal protest note, condemning the airstrike and accusing Pakistani military forces of aggression. The statement emphasized that the killing of innocent civilians, including refugees from Pakistan’s Waziristan region, aimed to create distrust between the two nations.
Pakistan has not officially confirmed the details of the strikes, but a senior security official reported that jets and drones targeted “terrorist hideouts” and killed at least 20 militants. These strikes occurred during a visit by Pakistan’s special envoy, Ambassador Muhammad Sadiq, who had meetings with Afghan officials, including Interior Minister Sirajuddin Haqqani, to discuss bilateral matters, including security concerns related to groups operating in Afghanistan.
The airstrikes came after a deadly attack by the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) in South Waziristan on December 20, which left 16 Frontier Corps personnel martyred. Pakistani sources claimed that the airstrikes targeted TTP camps and their media arm, Umar Media, resulting in more than 60 casualties. Afghan officials acknowledged the deaths of refugees from Waziristan but insisted that innocent women and children were also among the victims.
TTP-linked social media accounts attempted to disprove Pakistani claims, posting videos of their leaders, including the head of Umar Media, reportedly unharmed. However, the authenticity of these videos could not be independently verified.
