"Right to self-defense" ignites conflicts; Afghan call to end the conflict with Pakistan

 Pakistani military spokesman Major General Ahmed Sharif stated that they were exercising their right to self-defence. At the same time, Afghan Interior Minister Sirajuddin Haqqani asserted that accusations regarding the Pakistani Taliban were being used as a pretext, emphasizing that the doors to dialogue and negotiation remained open.

Sharif added, during a press conference on Friday, that they had destroyed 73 positions along the border with Afghanistan and captured 18 others, announcing the deaths of at least 12 Pakistani soldiers during clashes with Afghanistan.

For its part, the Pakistani Foreign Ministry called on the international community to send a clear message to the Afghan government "regarding the necessity of fulfilling its obligations related to combating armed groups and ending its support for them."

The ministry stated that Pakistan "has long been engaged in political and diplomatic efforts to contain the threat of terrorism emanating from Afghan territory," but expressed regret over what it described as the lack of concrete steps from Kabul. The Foreign Ministry reiterated Pakistan's right to take "appropriate measures" to ensure the security of its citizens, noting that the military operations it is carrying out in Afghanistan fall within the framework of "self-defence" in the face of attacks and provocations across the border.

The Afghan position

In response, the Afghan Interior Minister asserted that accusations against his country regarding the Pakistani Taliban were being used as a pretext by Islamabad, emphasizing his government's commitment to preserving the country's independence.

The minister explained that the doors to dialogue remained open, expressing appreciation for the efforts made by Qatar, Turkey, and Saudi Arabia in this regard. However, he also indicated that the Durand Line issue remained the primary obstacle to any progress in bilateral negotiations.

Taliban government spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid, in a press conference, affirmed the government's continued commitment to a peaceful solution, indicating its readiness for dialogue to end the conflict.

He announced that Pakistani reconnaissance aircraft were flying in Afghan airspace "at this moment," hours after airstrikes carried out by Islamabad in Kabul and Kandahar.

Reports on Friday indicated that 13 Afghan soldiers were killed and 22 others wounded in the exchange of fire with Pakistan.

The Afghan government spokesman denied attacking any country, asserting that they were merely exercising their legitimate right to self-defence and that Pakistan had violated Afghan airspace and repeatedly bombed innocent civilians.

On Friday, Afghan government spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid announced that 13 Afghan soldiers had been killed and 22 others wounded in the exchange of fire with Pakistan.

The Afghan government announced that its forces targeted what it described as important Pakistani government sites deep inside Pakistan with drone strikes, adding that the targeted sites were destroyed and burned.

The Afghan army commander announced the start of what he called retaliatory operations against Pakistani military posts along the Line of Control, indicating that the army had seized control of several military posts and killed several Pakistani soldiers.

The Afghan army commander added that they would not allow any aggression to go unanswered and that their forces were capable of defending the territorial integrity of Afghanistan, warning the Pakistani military regime that continued attacks would be met with a more decisive response.

He emphasized that if his country's security were threatened, Afghan forces were capable of taking the fight deep into Pakistan, including the capital, Islamabad.

The Afghan Ministry of Defence stated that its air force carried out airstrikes on military sites inside Pakistan, including a camp near the capital, Islamabad, military installations in the Nowshahr and Jamrud districts, and targets in the city of Abbottabad.

It announced that 8 of its troops were killed and 11 others were wounded in clashes with Pakistan, confirming that its air operations were in response to Pakistani raids last night on the cities of Kabul, Kandahar and Paktia.

Pakistan launched airstrikes overnight on several Afghan locations, including the capital Kabul, Kandahar, and the eastern border province of Paktia, in what Pakistani Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi described as a "fitting response" to Thursday's Afghan attack.

Also in Pakistan, a military source reported that a strategic location belonging to what the official called the "Afghan Taliban" was targeted in Laghman province, central Afghanistan. The source added that airstrikes were renewed in the Goshta district of Nangarhar province.

The same source claimed that the Pakistani bombardment killed 228 "Afghan Taliban" fighters, wounded 314, destroyed 74 Afghan military positions, and captured 18 others.

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan discussed the latest developments in the clashes between Islamabad and Kabul in separate phone calls with his counterparts in Pakistan, Afghanistan, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia.

For his part, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim called on both sides to exercise restraint, stressing that the loss of life on both sides was a "deeply saddening" event. The British Foreign Secretary also called for de-escalation between Pakistan and Afghanistan, saying: "We urge both sides to take immediate steps towards de-escalation, avoid further harm to civilians, and re-engage in dialogue."

Source: Agencies