The Afghan Taliban targeted “several points” across the disputed border with Pakistan, Afghanistan’s Defense Ministry announced on Saturday, in retaliation for Pakistani airstrikes carried out inside Afghan territory earlier this week.
While the ministry did not explicitly name Pakistan, it referred to the strikes as taking place “beyond the ‘hypothetical line’,” a term Afghan authorities use to describe the contested Durand Line separating the two nations.
“Several points beyond the hypothetical line, serving as centers and hideouts for malicious elements and their supporters who organized and coordinated attacks in Afghanistan, were targeted in retaliation from the southeastern direction of the country,” the ministry’s statement read.
The Durand Line, drawn by British colonial authorities in the 19th century, has long been a source of dispute between Afghanistan and Pakistan. Afghan officials do not recognize the line as an official border, complicating relations between the two countries.
When asked about the statement’s reference to Pakistan, Afghan Defense Ministry spokesperson Enayatullah Khowarazmi clarified, “We do not consider it to be the territory of Pakistan, therefore, we cannot confirm the territory, but it was on the other side of the hypothetical line.”
No details regarding casualties or the exact locations targeted in the strikes were provided. The Pakistani military’s public relations wing and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs have yet to issue a response.
The retaliatory action follows warnings from Afghan officials earlier this week, who accused Pakistan of targeting civilians during its airstrikes along the border. Islamabad stated that its strikes aimed to neutralize militant hideouts linked to cross-border attacks in Pakistan.
The neighbors share a tense relationship, with Pakistan frequently accusing the Afghan Taliban of harboring militants responsible for attacks within its territory. The Afghan Taliban denies these claims and counters that Pakistan’s operations often harm innocent civilians.
