Pakistan’s military conducted air raids in neighboring Afghanistan late on Tuesday night, targeting hideouts of the Pakistan Taliban (TTP) in Paktika province. The attacks come after a spate of cross-border attacks by the TTP and are the first such strikes inside Afghanistan since March.
The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) confirmed that the raids took place near Pakistan’s South Waziristan tribal district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. At least 46 people, including women and children, were killed in the air raids according to the Taliban spokesperson’s office.
Pakistan has accused the Afghan government of harbouring armed groups, particularly the TTP, which it claims conducts cross-border attacks targeting Pakistani security forces. However, the Taliban denies providing refuge to armed groups or allowing their territory to be used for cross-border attacks.
The Pakistani government has launched a military campaign in June and security analysts believe that the latest air raids are part of this operation. The Kabul visit by Pakistan’s special representative for Afghanistan, Mohammad Sadiq, may not have been connected to the Tuesday night attacks.
Analysts warn that increasing tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan could lead to further violence. Ihsanullah Tipu, a security analyst, says that a serious flaw in Pakistan’s Afghanistan policy is its “inconsistent approach”. He suggests that the Afghan government has promised retaliation, but the real response may come from the Pakistani Taliban.
The international community is unlikely to criticise Pakistan for the air raids, but analysts say that this presents a big challenge to Pakistan, requiring it to develop diplomatic skills to hold dialogue with rulers in Afghanistan. The TTP issue remains a major obstacle to Pakistan-Afghanistan relations, and Tuesday’s strikes may hinder any progress before it formally begins.
Source: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/12/25/pakistan-air-strikes-in-afghanistan-spark-taliban-warning-of-retaliation