Five Pakistani soldiers and twenty five militants have been killed in fresh fighting along the border with Afghanistan, Pakistan’s military said on Sunday. The violence erupted in Kurram and North Waziristan on Friday and Saturday while officials from both countries attended peace talks in Istanbul.
The Pakistani army said the clashes began when armed fighters attempted to cross from Afghan territory into Pakistan. The military added that the latest attacks have raised serious doubts over whether the Taliban authorities in Kabul intend to curb groups operating from their soil.
A statement from Pakistan’s military communication office described the attackers as belonging to Fitna al Khwarij. This is a term Pakistan uses for armed groups it claims follow extremist ideology and receive support from foreign backers.
The Taliban government has repeatedly rejected such accusations. Officials in Kabul argue that Pakistan’s forces have launched operations that violate Afghan sovereignty. Requests for comment from the Taliban’s chief spokesman and the defence ministry went unanswered on Sunday.
Delegations from both sides are meeting in Istanbul for a second straight day. Their goal is to prevent a return to large scale conflict after the worst fighting between their armies since the Taliban took control of Kabul in 2021.
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That earlier clash erupted this month when Pakistan demanded stronger action against militants it says operate from shelter in Afghanistan, prompting heavy fire and strikes across the frontier. A truce brokered in Doha one week ago stopped the exchanges, though concerns remain.
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Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said on Saturday that the ceasefire still holds and that he believes Afghanistan also wants calm. He warned however that a failure in Istanbul would leave the region facing what he called open war.
Pakistan has been pressing the Taliban government for months to act against Tehreek e Taliban Pakistan and other armed outfits that Islamabad blames for attacks inside its territory. Afghan officials counter that Pakistan has not addressed their own security concerns. In coming days, actions taken by the authorities of both countries would either make the peace plan progress or lead to further escalations.
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Africa Digital News, New YorkÂ
