Escalation of Tensions on the Durand Line: Pakistan Initiates Extensive Airstrikes in Eastern Afghanistan
In a move that could further ignite the long-standing border tensions, sources close to the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) have reported that the Pakistan Air Force is planning extensive airstrikes near the Durand Line in the border provinces of Khost, Nangarhar, and Paktika.
Weezha Roz-Kabul-This development comes at a time when both sides of the border have witnessed intermittent military and security clashes in recent months.
The Durand Line, a 2,670-kilometer border between Afghanistan and Pakistan, demarcated by the British in 1893, has always been a point of contention in relations between the two countries.
The Afghan government does not recognize this line as an official border, and insurgent groups, including the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), have used the border areas to carry out cross-border attacks.
In recent years, the increase in border attacks and Pakistani military operations in these areas has escalated tensions to unprecedented levels.
According to the media outlet KDR News, which is close to the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan, Pakistan’s military has recently moved JF-17 Thunder fighter jets (a joint production between Pakistan and China) and advanced WL-2 drones to the airbases in Quetta (the capital of Balochistan province) and Peshawar (the capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province).
These military transfers coincide with increased movements of Pakistani ground forces along the Durand Line.
A military source from the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan, in an interview with the media, warned that “this time, Pakistan’s border posts along the Durand Line will be targeted by unprecedented and suppressive attacks.”
So far, Afghan government officials in Kabul have not officially responded to these claims, but local sources in Nangarhar have reported an increase in Taliban military activities along the border areas.
Human rights organizations and local agencies have expressed concerns that airstrikes could lead to civilian casualties in residential areas near the border.
Experts emphasize that with this move, Pakistan aims to simultaneously exert pressure on the Afghan government to rein in the TTP while showcasing its military presence along the borders.
Weezha Roz
