Khaberni - The Pakistani military announced today, Sunday, the deaths of five of its soldiers and 25 militants in clashes near the border with Afghanistan, during a time when delegations from both countries are meeting in an attempt to defuse tensions after the fiercest fighting in years.
The Pakistani military media office stated that the militants tried to cross from Afghanistan on Friday and Saturday in the regions of Kurram and North Waziristan, which are rugged areas on the northwestern border of Pakistan.
It added that the timing of these infiltration attempts "raises suspicions about the interim Afghan government's intentions regarding dealing with threats emanating from its territory." The military referred to the Doha agreement, calling on the Afghan government to "fulfill its commitments and prevent the use of its territory for hostile actions against Pakistan."
In Afghanistan, neither the Taliban government nor the Ministry of Defense have commented on these statements yet.
The Taliban denies the accusations of harboring militants and says that Pakistani military operations violate Afghan sovereignty.
This comes as officials from both countries meet in Istanbul to prevent the renewal of conflict after clashes that occurred between their armies this month, which was the fiercest fighting on the border since the Taliban's takeover of Kabul in 2021.
The fighting erupted after Pakistan demanded the Taliban restrict the militants whom it says are operating from safe havens within Afghanistan, leading to intense exchanges of fire and Pakistani air raids. The sides reached a ceasefire in Doha last Sunday.
Pakistani Defense Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif said yesterday, Saturday, that the ceasefire is holding and he believes that Afghanistan wants peace. However, he warned that failing to reach an agreement in Istanbul would mean "open war."
