Kabul [Afghanistan], March 19 : 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.
At least eight people, including women and children, were killed in Pakistan's airstrikes on Khost and Paktia provinces on Monday, TOLO News reported. Taliban said such airstrikes are a clear violation of Afghanistan's territory. Following Pakistan's airstrikes, Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid warned that any infringement on Afghanistan's sovereignty would have dire repercussions.
Taliban's deputy spokesperson Hamdullah 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," TOLO News reported.
Meanwhile, Pakistan's Foreign Office has said that Pakistan 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 operations 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.
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