Pakistan Warns of Cross-Border Strikes as Tensions Escalate with Afghanistan

Pakistan Warns of Cross-Border Strikes as Tensions Escalate with Afghanistan
——————————–
Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has warned that Islamabad may carry out military action inside Afghanistan if cross-border militant attacks persist, accusing the Taliban of failing to stop the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) from operating on Afghan soil.

Speaking to Samaa TV, Asif said Pakistan “reserves the right to hold them accountable — even inside Afghanistan — if blood is shed on our soil.” His remarks follow a surge in deadly assaults in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, where 23 people, including seven policemen, were killed in recent TTP-led attacks, according to local and international media.

The latest violence came after reported Pakistani airstrikes in Kabul targeting TTP chief Noor Wali Mehsud, which Afghanistan’s Taliban condemned as a violation of sovereignty. Islamabad insists its operations are legitimate defensive measures against militants using Afghan territory.

Border tensions have escalated sharply since the Taliban’s 2021 return to power. The UN Security Council has noted that TTP fighters continue to enjoy safe havens in Afghanistan, a charge Kabul denies.