25 Militants and five soldiers killed in Pak-Afghan clash as Donald Trump vows to ‘solve war’ quickly

Islamabad (The Uttam Hindu): Despite ongoing peace talks in Istanbul between Pakistan and Afghanistan, tensions at the border show no signs of easing. Twenty-five militants and five Pakistani soldiers were killed in a fierce clash along the Durand Line on Sunday. The Pakistani army issued a statement claiming that militants were attempting to infiltrate Pakistan's Kurram and North Waziristan districts from Afghanistan, but the attempt was foiled.

The Pakistani military directly blamed the Taliban government for the incident. The military stated, "This conspiracy of cross-border infiltration and attacks demonstrates that the Taliban government in Afghanistan is not serious about countering terrorism." Pakistan alleged that the Taliban is failing to live up to its promise of not allowing its territory to be used for terrorism.

This bloody conflict comes at a time when tensions between the two countries remain high despite a ceasefire brokered by Qatar. Representatives of both countries are holding talks, first in Doha and now in Istanbul. On Saturday, Pakistan's Defense Minister Khawaja Asif warned that if Afghanistan fails to reach an agreement in Istanbul, Pakistan is prepared for "open war."

Although the Taliban has not yet responded to the latest incident, it has consistently denied harboring any terrorist organization. The Taliban alleges that Pakistan has previously carried out airstrikes in Afghanistan, which constitute an attack on its sovereignty. It is noteworthy that Pakistan's second airstrike killed several Afghan civilians, including three cricketers, and was condemned worldwide.

Meanwhile, during the ASEAN Summit in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, US President Donald Trump made a major statement on the tensions. He said he would resolve the conflict between Pakistan and Afghanistan "very soon."

Addressing an event, Trump called Pakistani Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif and Army Chief Asim Munir "great people." He said, "I know them both... The Field Marshal (Army Chief) and the Prime Minister of Pakistan are both great people, and I know we'll get this done very soon. This work just started a few days ago."