Taliban 'won't tolerate invasions' as it alleges Pakistan launched strikes in Afghanistan

The acting defence minister of the Taliban-led Afghanistan government on Sunday said that the administration would not tolerate “invasions” from its neighbours as it continues to protest against airstrikes it claimed were conducted by neighbouring Pakistan. Although Pakistan has not yet confirmed its involvement in the airstrikes conducted inside Afghan borders, Islamabad said that both neighbouring nations are “brotherly”.

As per reports, during a ceremony in Kabul commemorating the anniversary of his father, Taliban’s founder Mullah Mohammad Omar, Afghanistan’s acting defence minister Mullah Mohammad Yaqoob said, “We are facing problems and challenges from both the world and our neighbours, the clear example is invasion by them in our territory in Kunar”.

“We can't tolerate the invasion. We have tolerated that attack. We tolerated that because of national interests, next time we might not tolerate it," he added. 

Responding to Yaqoob’s remarks, Pakistan's foreign office spokesperson said Islamabad hoped for a long-term engagement with Kabul to secure peace. The spokesperson said, “Pakistan and Afghanistan are brotherly countries. The governments and people of both countries regard terrorism as a serious threat and have suffered from this scourge for a long time ... therefore, it is important that our two countries engage in a meaningful manner through relevant institutional channels to cooperate in countering cross border terrorism and taking actions against terrorist groups on their soil”.

Afghanistan says Pakistan’s strikes killed 36

As tensions between Afghanistan and Pakistan continue, just last week, the Taliban administration’s foreign ministry called in Pakistan’s ambassador to protest against the strikes. As per reports, local officials have said that the strikes by Pakistan military helicopters killed at least 36 people in Afghanistan. Meanwhile, the United Nations children’s agency head in Afghanistan said that 20 children were killed in airstrikes in Khost and Kunar on April 16. 

It is to note here that since the Taliban forcefully took over Afghanistan in August 2021, there have been a number of standoffs along the 2,600-km (1,615-mile) border with Pakistan. The border between both nations was drawn by British colonial rulers and is still disputed by Kabul. Irked by the constant attacks, Pakistan’s military has also ramped up operations along the Afghan border, especially in recent months.

Image: AP