As many as 23 Pakistani soldiers and over 200 Afghan Taliban, and dozens of proscribed Tehreek-e-Taliban members, along with their most wanted commander, Baytullah Masood, have been killed in cross-border clashes ongoing between the two sides.
According to sources, the Afghan Taliban reached out to Qatar for a ceasefire, though officials from the Pakistani establishment said the request was rejected and action continues until they establish peace on the border.
This marks the first major escalation between the two neighbouring countries. After the dreaded TTP killed 12 Pakistani soldiers, the attacks prompted a severe response from Islamabad, which launched massive airstrikes and carried out a ground assault on the TTP bases inside the Afghan border.
The frustration in the Pakistani establishment overflowed when the TTP carried out multiple strikes in North Waziristan and the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa region in recent months. Pakistan has accused the Afghan Taliban of its inaction against the groups and alleged that the Kabul regime was providing shelter to the members of the terror organisation.
Kabul, on the other hand, said that airstrikes violated the sovereignty and respect of the country, prompting raids on small Pakistani outposts in the northern region, which resulted in the deaths of 9 more soldiers on Sunday.
Infuriated Pakistan launched another round of airstrikes with drones and medium-range artillery, assisting the ground troops, inflicting massive damage on the Afghan posts and reportedly taking control of more than 21 posts.
Also Read: Afghan FM invites women journalists to press meet after outrage
“The infrastructural damages to Taliban posts, camps, and headquarters and support networks of terrorists are extensive all along the border and range from tactical to operational depth,” the statement from the Pakistani army said on Monday.
As per fresh reports, the Pakistani air force has established complete air superiority over Afghanistan, which they said would allow them to target all the possible targets before they move up for action. The situation between the two neighbouring nations is tense, as one spark could unleash the possibility of all-out war.
Both sides are warning each other, though it's clear that Afghanistan is at a clear disadvantage, lacking air support to launch a counterassault on Pakistani positions.
Also Read: Taliban kill 58 Pak soldiers, seize posts in border clashes
Follow us
