Pak strikes Taliban posts, vehicles in Chaman as Afghan border tensions spike

Pakistani troops launched fresh strikes along the Afghan border, destroying Taliban posts and vehicles in Balochistan’s Chaman sector, as tensions between the two countries rose again. The military action, described as a response to "unprovoked aggression", has further strained the situation despite recent diplomatic efforts to prevent further conflict.

According to inputs from the Associated Press, the strikes involved precision operations against multiple posts and vehicles allegedly used by Afghan Taliban fighters. In recent months, violence along the frontier has steadily increased, with both sides trading accusations over cross-border attacks and civilian casualties.

Officials said the latest operation was triggered by recent incidents of shelling from across the border, including a mortar strike that hit a residential house near Chaman, killing one civilian and injuring two others. In response, Pakistani forces targeted what they described as militant hideouts and Taliban-linked infrastructure in the area.

Two security officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, told the Associated Press that the army also struck positions linked to the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), a banned outfit that Islamabad accuses Kabul of sheltering. The TTP, while distinct, maintains operational links with the Afghan Taliban, complicating the already tense relationship between the two neighbours.

Pakistan’s Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi said the forces had acted decisively to counter threats. He stated that Pakistani troops had thwarted "malicious intentions" and were delivering a "befitting response" to aggression along the border.

Security sources cited by Pakistani news outlet, Dawn, said the strikes were part of an ongoing military campaign, Operation Ghazab lil-Haq, launched earlier this year in response to repeated cross-border attacks. The operation, which resumed after a brief pause in March, aims to dismantle militant networks operating near the frontier.

"The Pakistan Army’s effective operations have forced the Afghan Taliban and the Fitna al Khawarij to retreat," security sources told Dawn, using a term commonly employed by the state to describe TTP militants.

DE-ESCALATION EFFORTS WEAKEN AS TENSIONS MOUNT

The renewed violence comes despite recent diplomatic engagement between Islamabad and Kabul, including talks mediated by China earlier this month. Both sides had agreed to avoid escalation and work towards a broader resolution to their disputes.

However, the situation has worsened since then. Afghan officials have accused Pakistan of carrying out mortar and missile strikes on civilian areas, including a university in Kunar province, killing 4 people and 70 others. Islamabad has rejected the claims, calling them unfounded and part of "continuous propaganda".

At the core of the conflict is Pakistan’s long-standing allegation that Afghanistan shelters militants responsible for attacks inside its territory, to which, Afghan Taliban government has consistently denied the claims. The Taliban, which returned to power in Kabul in 2021 after the withdrawal of US-led forces, maintains that militancy within Pakistan is an internal matter.

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With inputs from agencies