KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – Taliban Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi has said the group is facing what he described as an “imposed war” amid escalating clashes between the Taliban and Pakistan.
Speaking during a meeting with foreign diplomats in Kabul, Muttaqi described the Taliban’s attacks on Pakistan as “defensive,” saying the operations are focused on Pakistani military targets.
He accused Pakistan of violating a ceasefire, claiming that the Pakistani army launched attacks on Afghanistan while both sides were engaged in negotiations mediated by Saudi Arabia.
Muttaqi also rejected Pakistan’s justification for its military actions, which Islamabad has linked to the presence of the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). He said the militant group had existed in Pakistan for years and did not emerge after the Taliban returned to power in Afghanistan in 2021.
The Taliban foreign minister further accused Pakistani military leaders of threatening regional stability rather than addressing their country’s internal security challenges.
The ongoing fighting between the Taliban and Pakistan began more than a week ago, following retaliatory Taliban attacks on Pakistani border posts.
Prior to those attacks, Pakistan carried out airstrikes in Afghanistan’s eastern provinces of Paktika Province and Nangarhar Province.
The Taliban condemned the strikes as violations of Afghanistan’s sovereignty, saying civilians were targeted. According to the group, 17 people — including 11 children — were killed in the strikes in Nangarhar.
In response to Taliban attacks, the Pakistan Army launched a military operation called “Ghazab-ul-Haq,” carrying out air and rocket strikes across several areas of Afghanistan.
Taliban forces have continued attacks on Pakistani border posts and have also claimed responsibility for several airstrikes inside Pakistan.
According to the United Nations, Pakistani attacks in Afghanistan have so far killed or injured at least 185 civilians and displaced around 20,000 families.
Regional leaders, including Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, and countries such as Russia and China, have offered to mediate and called for de-escalation. The United Nations and several governments have urged an immediate halt to hostilities.
