Islamabad yesterday called on the Taliban government in Kabul to take “strong action” against militants launching attacks from Afghanistan, a day after six Afghans were killed in Pakistani army strikes.
Tensions on the border between Pakistan and Afghanistan have risen since the Taliban took over last year and Islamabad accused armed groups of frequent attacks from Afghan territory.
The Taliban deny harboring Pakistani militants but are concerned about Islamabad’s construction of a wall along the 2,700-kilometer border between the two countries. The killing of five children and a woman in alleged rocket attacks that Afghan officials blamed on the Pakistani army on Saturday in eastern Kunar province has again heightened tensions between the two neighboring countries. Although the Pakistani army did not confirm the attack, Islamabad insisted that it was under continuous “terrorist” attacks from Afghan soil.
“Pakistan once again strongly condemns the terrorists who, with immunity from Afghan soil, are operating in Pakistan to carry out activities in Pakistan,” Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement Sunday. The ministry said seven Pakistani soldiers were killed in North Waziristan on Thursday by “terrorists operating from Afghanistan.” “Unfortunately, elements of banned terrorist groups in the border area, including the Pakistani Taliban, have continued to attack Pakistani border posts, resulting in the martyrdom of several Pakistani soldiers,” she added.
