Kabul: The forces of Afghan Taliban on Saturday hit a number of points in Pakistan, days after the latter carried to aerial attacks inside the country. Issuing a statement, Afghanistan defence ministry said that attacks were carried out “beyond the ‘hypothetical line. In its statement, however, Afghanistan did not blame Pakistan directly.
“Several points beyond the hypothetical line, which is serving as centres and hideouts for malicious elements and their supporters who earlier organised and coordinated attacks, were targeted in retaliation from the southeast direction of Afghanistan,” the ministry said.
‘Attacks conducted from Other side of hypothetical line’
When asked whether the ministry was referring to Pakistan, the official, Afghanistan’s Taliban regime added, “We do not consider it to be part of Pakistan. Therefore, we cannot confirm the territory, but the attack was conducted on the other side of the hypothetical line.”
For several decades, Afghanistan has been rejecting the border, popularly known as the Durand Line, which was drawn by British colonials in the 19th century through the mountainous and tribal belt between what is now known as Pakistan and Afghanistan.
However, Afghanistan did not provide list of casualties. Pakistan has also not yet responded to requests for comment, news agency AFP reported.
One Pakistani paramilitary soldier killed: Official
As per sources to the agency, at least one Pakistani soldier was killed and seven others were injured in the exchanges of fire with Afghan forces. Notably, clashes erupted between Pakistan and Afghanistan’s Taliban forces on the frontier between Afghanistan’s Khost province and Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. The clashes took place days after Afghanistan’s Taliban authorities accused Pakistan of killing 46 of its civilians, including women and children, in air strikes.
