Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid said Pakistan Air Forces struck Kam Air fuel depots near Kandahar Airport. Pakistan's military also shelled Khost province, killing four members of a family, amid escalating clashes along the Durand Line.
Pakistan Air Forces have struck the fuel depots belonging to the private airline Kam Air near Kandahar Airport in Afghanistan, Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid said on Friday. In a post on X, he said that this company provides fuel materials for domestic airlines as well as for United Nations aircraft. Zabihullah Mujahid also accused Pakistan of previously attacking the fuel storage of a national trader named Haji Khan Zadah.
Pakistan Targets Khost Province
Meanwhile Pakistan's military targeted various areas of the Alisher-Terezai district of Khost province, near the Hypothetical Durand Line, with artillery fire, as per TOLO News. Four members of one family were killed, and three others were injured as a result of the shelling.
Escalating Border Tensions
This comes amid an increasing exchange of airstrikes between Pakistan and Afghanistan along the Durand Line in February. Pakistan launched air strikes on Afghanistan's capital, Kabul, and other cities, as clashes escalate along the two countries' shared border. On February 27, Pakistan launched airstrikes targeting Kabul and other Afghan cities. Pakistan's Defence Minister, Khawaja Asif, declared an "open war," stating that Pakistan's "cup of patience has overflowed." He accused the Taliban of harbouring global terrorists and exporting militancy.
Afghan Retaliatory Claims
The Afghan Ministry of National Defence claimed that 55 Pakistani soldiers were killed in retaliatory operations along the Durand Line on February 26.
Root of the Conflict: Durand Line and TTP
The Durand Line dispute and the Taliban's return to power in 2021 have fueled tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan, with frequent clashes reported. In particular, Pakistan wants the Taliban to rein in armed groups such as the Pakistan Taliban, known by its acronym TTP, which it says Afghanistan is harbouring.
The Pakistan Taliban (TTP)
The TTP emerged in Pakistan in 2007 and is separate from the Taliban in Afghanistan, but shares deep ideological, social and linguistic ties with the group, as per Al Jazeera.
Armed attacks in Pakistan by the TTP and the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), which operates in the resource-rich Balochistan province, have surged in recent years. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, which border Afghanistan, have borne the brunt of the violence.
India Condemns Airstrikes
India strongly condemned Pakistan's airstrikes in Afghan territory, specifically noting the civilian casualties (including women and children) during Ramadan and reiterated its support for Afghanistan's sovereignty and territorial integrity. (ANI)
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