Pakistan launches airstrikes on Afghanistan, kills over 300 Taliban fighters in retaliatory operation
New Delhi (The Uttam Hindu): Amidst the fierce war going on between Israel and Iran, the situation in India's neighborhood has now become extremely tense. A bloody war has been going on between Pakistan and Afghanistan for the last four days, which has increased the heartbeat of the entire South Asia. Pakistan's Information Minister Ataullah Tarar has made a big claim, saying that his country has carried out rapid attacks on 41 locations in Afghanistan. So far, more than 350 Taliban fighters have been killed in these attacks. Apart from this, 130 Taliban posts have been completely destroyed and about 530 people have been seriously injured.
The Defense Minister declared open war, and peace efforts failed
Regarding this bloody conflict, Pakistan's Defense Minister Khawaja Asif had already made the alarming announcement that Pakistan was now engaged in open war with Afghanistan. He alleged that the Taliban had infiltrated Pakistani territory and carried out attacks, which were now being met with a retaliatory response. As part of this effort, Pakistan has targeted several major and important Afghan cities, including Kabul and Kandahar. To defuse this growing tension, countries like Turkey and Qatar have attempted to mediate between the two countries, but all their efforts have proven completely futile.
Taliban launches fierce counterattack, claims capture of Pakistani military bases
While Pakistan is claiming victory, Afghanistan has stunned Pakistan with its counterattack. The Taliban claims that its fighters killed 55 Pakistani soldiers in retaliation. Furthermore, Afghanistan has made the sensational claim of capturing two major Pakistani military bases and 19 military posts. However, the Pakistani military and government have categorically rejected all of these claims.
The dispute over the Durand Line and the Pashtun population is years old
This hostility between Pakistan and Afghanistan is not new. After the withdrawal of NATO forces from Afghanistan in 2021, Pakistan was under the illusion that with the Taliban coming to power, it would be able to control Afghanistan. However, the Taliban have categorically refused to allow their territory to be used for terrorist activities. Furthermore, the biggest dispute concerns the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province and the Durand Line. The Taliban does not recognize the Durand Line, drawn by the British, as a border. They believe that they have a deep connection with the Pashtun population of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and therefore there should be free movement there. This struggle for supremacy has today escalated into a fierce war.