Zardari warns Taliban after drone strikes on Pakistan’s civilian areas
Pakistan’s President Asif Ali Zardari warned Afghanistan’s Taliban government Saturday that it had “crossed a red line” by launching drone attacks on civilian areas in Pakistan, according to Pakistani state media. Zardari’s warning came as the fighting between the two South Asian neighbors was described as their deadliest yet, following clashes that erupted late last month.
Pakistan said its forces intercepted drones launched Friday but that falling debris injured two children in the city of Quetta and two people elsewhere in the country. The statement by Zardari was the latest escalation in a dispute that has continued despite efforts by China and Turkey to broker a ceasefire.
Pakistan reports strikes targeting an Afghan drone facility
Hours after Zardari’s warning, state-run media said Pakistan’s air force carried out strikes late Saturday in Afghanistan’s southern Kandahar Province. Pakistan TV, citing security officials, said the strikes targeted an Afghan military facility that it alleged had been used to launch drone attacks into Pakistan a day earlier.
State-run media also reported that the facility was being used by the Pakistani and Afghan Taliban for “acts of terrorism” in Pakistan, and said the strikes were intended to signal to Kabul that Afghan territory cannot be used for cross-border attacks against Pakistan. There was no immediate comment from Kabul about the latest strikes in Kandahar.
Taliban and Pakistan trade accusations over airstrikes
On Friday, the Afghan Taliban government accused Pakistan of conducting airstrikes in Kabul and other areas in eastern Afghanistan, saying at least six civilians were killed and 15 other were injured. Hours later, Kabul claimed its air force responded by targeting military installations near Islamabad, Pakistan’s capital, and in northwestern Pakistan.
Pakistan denied targeting civilians, saying its operations focus on Pakistani Taliban militants and their support networks. Islamabad has referred to the conflict as an “open war,” intensifying concerns among the international community about regional stability.
Additional claims involve Kam Air fuel depots and border fighting
Afghan government spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said Pakistani aircraft struck fuel depots belonging to the private airline Kam Air near the airport in the southern city of Kandahar. Mujahid said the depots supply civilian and U.N. flights.
In a separate claim carried on X, Afghanistan’s Defense Ministry said Saturday that defense forces along the border in the eastern provinces of Kunar and Nangarhar captured a Pakistani post and killed 14 Pakistani soldiers. Pakistan’s Information Ministry said the claim was baseless.
Pakistani officials reject the accusations, say operations will continue
Pakistan’s President delivered his warning in unusually pointed terms. Zardari said: “While the Afghan terrorist regime seeks negotiations with our friendly countries, it crossed a red line by attempting to target our civilians.”
Shehbaz Sharif’s spokesman, Mosharraf Zaidi, said on X that the Afghan Taliban are “spending more time weaving fantasies” than they are getting rid of “terrorist organizations enjoying Afghan Taliban regime hospitality.” Zaidi said such propaganda would not force Pakistan to end its counterterrorism operations, adding: “Only the end of terrorism from Afghan soil to Pakistan will,” he said.
Diplomats urge restraint amid failed ceasefire attempts
China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi urged for a peaceful resolution of the Afghanistan-Pakistan dispute on Friday, warning that the use of force worsens tensions and threatens regional stability. Xinhua reported that Wang spoke with Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi.
Wang said China’s special envoy is shuttling between the two countries to promote restraint and encourage a ceasefire, while Muttaqi said Afghanistan seeks regional peace and does not want a military conflict. Muttaqi said dialogue remains the only solution and urged China to play a greater role.
A Qatari-mediated ceasefire in October briefly reduced tensions, but talks in Turkey failed to produce a lasting agreement. Meanwhile, on Friday, a roadside bomb targeting Pakistani police killed seven officers in the northwestern district of Lakki Mawat.