Pakistan will continue attacks in Afghanistan: Defence Minister
Pakistan will persist in launching military strikes against targets in Afghanistan as part of a new operation to combat terrorism, the country's defence minister, Khawaja Asif, informed the media.
Asif stated that the aerial strikes are aimed at groups accused by Pakistan of attacking its security forces and civilians. Until recently, Pakistani officials had only acknowledged one such strike in Afghanistan, which took place in March of this year.
The Taliban government in Afghanistan has condemned these strikes, labeling them as violations of Afghanistan's sovereignty.
Asif confirmed the ongoing operations in an interview with BBC Urdu, stating, "It’s correct that we have been carrying out operations in Afghanistan, and we will continue to do so. We won’t serve them with cake and pastries. If attacked, we’ll attack back."
He dismissed concerns regarding the legality of the strikes and explained that Pakistan does not notify the Taliban of impending attacks to maintain the element of surprise. "This would eliminate the element of surprise. Why should we tell them, ‘get ready, we are coming’?” he added.
In response, the Taliban described Asif's statements as "irresponsible" and warned that cross-border attacks would have "consequences."
Tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan have been escalating since the Taliban took control of Afghanistan in 2021. Pakistan accuses a faction of the Taliban, known as the Pakistani Taliban or TTP, of having sanctuaries within Afghanistan.
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