Once known as the Durand Line, the Afghanistan-Pakistan border was drawn up by British diplomat Mortimer Durand in 1893 to demarcate Afghanistan and then-British India.
Afghanistan has never formally recognised the boundary, and it has been described as one of the most dangerous and lawless frontiers in the world.
Retaliation for air strikes
Afghanistan’s Ministry of Defence said Saturday’s operation was retaliation for Pakistan’s violation of Afghan airspace last Thursday. He said the attack concluded at midnight local time.
“If the opposing side again violates Afghanistan’s airspace, our armed forces are prepared to defend their airspace and will deliver a strong response”, spokesperson Enayatullah Khowarazmi said.
There was no immediate response from Pakistan on whether the clashes had ended.
Islamabad accuses the Afghan Taliban administration of harbouring militants of the Pakistani Taliban who attack Pakistan, with the support of Pakistan’s adversary, India.
New Delhi denies the charge, while the Taliban say that they do not allow their territory to be used against other countries.
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A Pakistani security official told Reuters that last week’s airstrike had targeted the leader of the Pakistani Taliban militant group in Kabul, travelling in a vehicle. It was unclear if he had survived.
Islamabad had warned Kabul that its patience had run out.
Meanwhile, the Taliban administration’s foreign minister visited India this week, the first such trip by a senior Taliban official since the group regained power in 2021, and the two sides agreed to upgrade ties. That visit raised further concerns in Pakistan; there has been an upsurge in attacks by militants in Pakistan since the Taliban returned.
Reuters
