Pakistan has warned the Taliban that it will bomb insurgents who have taken safe haven in Afghanistan in retaliation for any future lethal attacks against its security forces, sparking revenge threats from the neighbour, even as the two sides pursue talks to defuse tensions.
Four Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) camps in Afghanistan’s eastern Paktika province were hit by Pakistani warplanes and armed drones on Tuesday night.
Islamabad has not directly commented on the strikes but its foreign ministry said the armed forces conducted “operations in border areas to protect the people of Pakistan from terrorist groups”.
“These counterterrorism operations are carefully selected and based on accurate intelligence,” the Dawn newspaper quoted the ministry as saying on Thursday.
Zabihullah Mujahid, the Taliban government’s spokesman, said at least 46 Afghan and Pakistani nationals, including women and children, were killed.
The UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan also said on Wednesday that dozens of civilians died in the attacks, citing “credible reports” it received on the incident, which drew angry reactions from Kabul.