White House urges Pakistan, Afghanistan to address differences through dialogue

Washington, DC [US], March 19 (ANI): Reacting to Pakistan’s airstrikes in Afghanistan, the White House has called on both the nations to address their differences through dialogue. White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre urged the Taliban to ensure that terror attacks are not launched from Afghan soil.

While addressing a press briefing on Monday (local time), Karine Jean-Pierre said that the US remains committed to ensuring that Afghanistan never again becomes a safe haven for terrorists who wish to harm the United States and its partners and allies.

In response to a question about Pakistan’s airstrikes in Afghanistan, Karine Jean-Pierre said, “We are aware of the report obviously that Pakistan carried out air strikes in Afghanistan in response to attack in Pakistan on Saturday at a military post. We deeply regret the loss of life and injuries sustained during the attack in Pakistan and the loss of civilian lives during the strikes in Afghanistan. We urge the Taliban to ensure that terror attacks are not launched from Afghan soil.”

“We urge Pakistan to exercise restraint and ensure civilians are not harmed in their counterterrorism efforts. We urge both sides to address any differences through dialogue. We remain committed to ensuring that Afghanistan never again becomes a safe haven for terrorists who wish to harm the United States or other partners or allies. So, we’ve made that very clear and we’re going to continue to be consistent,” she added.

Her statement comes after Pakistan carried out airstrikes in Khost and Paktia provinces of Afghanistan which claimed the lives of eight people including children and women. Taliban asserted that such airstrikes are a clear violation of Afghanistan’s territory, Afghanistan-based TOLO News reported.

Pakistan’s Foreign Office has said that Islamabad carried out “intelligence-based anti-terrorist operations” inside the border regions of Afghanistan, Pakistan-based Dawn reported. According to Pakistan’s Foreign Office press release, the prime targets of the operation carried out on Monday were terrorists belonging to the Hafiz Gul Bahadur Group.

It said that Hafiz Gul Bahadur Group along with the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), was responsible for multiple terrorist attacks inside Pakistan, resulting in “deaths of hundreds of civilians and law enforcement officials”, according to Dawn report.

Pakistan’s Foreign Office said that the latest attack of such an instance took place at a security post in North Waziristan’s Mir Ali on Saturday, which claimed the lives of seven Pakistani soldiers.

In response to Pakistan’s airstrikes in Afghanistan, the Taliban’s forces have targeted Pakistan’s military posts along the Durand Line with heavy weapons, the Afghanistan-based Khaama Press reported, citing the Taliban-led Ministry of Defence.

In a press release, the Taliban-led Ministry of Defence stated, “In response to this aggression, the border forces of Taliban targeted Pakistani military centres along the fabricated border line with heavy weapons.”

It further said that Afghanistan’s “defence and security forces are ready to respond to any aggressive actions and will defend their territorial integrity under all circumstances.”Armed clashes had erupted between Taliban forces and Pakistani border guards along the Durand Line, Khaama Press reported citing sources.

According to local sources, the clashes began at 7 am (local time) on Monday. Residents of Dand Patan had evacuated their homes after the rocket fire from Pakistan. The clashes erupted between the armed forces of the Taliban and Pakistan after Pakistani air forces conducted airstrikes in Afghanistan’s Khost and Paktika provinces.

According to the Taliban-led Ministry of Defence, Pakistani fighter jets “once again entered Afghan territory in a provocative action… and bombed civilian homes in Bermel district of Paktika province and Sepera district of Khost province,” Khaama Press reported.

Taliban deputy spokesperson Hamdullah Fitrat condemned Pakistan’s airstrikes and called it an “invasion of its territory.”

According to TOLO News report, Fitrat said, “The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan strongly condemns these strikes and calls the unconsidered act an invasion of its territory, the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan has the experience of a long struggle for freedom against the superpowers of the world and cannot tolerate any kind of invasion of its territory.” (ANI)