“STILL AFRAID”
Security issues lie at the heart of the clashes.
Since the Taliban returned to power, Pakistan has witnessed a dramatic spike in militant attacks, mainly near its 2,600km border with Afghanistan.
Analysts say Islamist fighters have been emboldened by the neighbouring insurgency’s success following the withdrawal of United States forces in 2021.
Islamabad alleges that hostile groups, including the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, or TTP, operate from “sanctuaries” in Afghanistan, a charge the Taliban government routinely denies.
The cross-border violence flared on Oct 11, days after explosions rocked Kabul during an unprecedented visit by the Taliban’s foreign minister Amir Khan Muttaqi to India, Pakistan’s archrival.
The Taliban then launched a deadly offensive along parts of its southern border with Pakistan, prompting Islamabad to vow a strong response.
Ahead of the Doha talks, a senior Taliban official told AFP that Pakistan had bombed three locations in Paktika province late Friday, and warned that Kabul would retaliate.
A hospital official in Paktika told AFP that 10 civilians, including two children, were killed and 12 others wounded. Three cricket players were among the dead.
Zabihullah, the Taliban spokesman, wrote on X that their forces had been ordered to hold fire “to maintain the dignity and integrity of its negotiating team”.
Saadullah Torjan, a minister in Spin Boldak in Afghanistan’s south, said: “For now, the situation is returning to normal.”
“But there is still a state of war, and people are afraid.”
Source: CNA
