US backs Pakistan’s ‘right to defend itself’ against Taliban after strikes on Afghanistan | Pakistan
Washington affirmed Pakistan’s “right to self-defense” after bombing major cities in Afghanistan at a time of rising tensions between the two hostile neighbours.
The Taliban government in Kabul insisted on Friday that it was ready to negotiate as violence between the two countries intensified.
Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahi said: “The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan has always tried to solve problems through dialogue, and now we want to solve this issue through dialogue.”
He said Pakistan’s strikes hit Kabul, Kandahar and parts of Paktia on Thursday night and Paktia, Pktika, Khost and Laghman on Friday.
Pakistani defense minister Khawaja Mohammad Asif had previously said his country was in “open war” with Afghanistan and Islamabad was running out of patience.
The latest wave of attacks came after Afghan forces attacked Pakistani border troops on Thursday night; Afghanistan said it was retaliation for Pakistan’s deadly airstrikes on Afghan border areas last weekend.
Pakistan accuses Afghanistan’s Taliban government of hosting militant groups that carry out cross-border attacks (a claim denied by Kabul) and of allying with its historical enemy and regional rival India.
Britain and the EU have called for a rapid de-escalation of tensions and urged both sides to restart negotiations. While the ceasefire brokered by Qatar ended the conflict in 2025, no official peace agreement emerged from the talks held in Istanbul in November.
U.S. Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Allison Hooker spoke with Pakistani Foreign Minister Amna Baloch on Friday and offered her condolences “for the lives lost” in the recent violence in Afghanistan.
“We continue to monitor the situation closely and have supported Pakistan’s right to defend itself against Taliban attacks,” Hooker wrote to X.
Pakistan is a key ally of Washington, which regards the Afghan Taliban, which returned to power in Kabul in 2021 after a chaotic withdrawal of US-led forces, as a “terrorist” group.
The European Union called for “an immediate reduction of tensions and a cessation of hostilities” and warned of potential “serious consequences” for the region.
“The EU reiterates that Afghan territory should not be used to threaten or attack other countries and calls on the Afghan de facto authorities to take effective action against all terrorist groups operating in or within Afghanistan,” said Kaja Kallas, the bloc’s high representative for foreign affairs and security policy. he said.
“We call on both sides to engage in dialogue,” Kallas added. “International law, including humanitarian law, must be fully respected by all actors. The protection of civilians and civilian infrastructure must be ensured, and all possible measures must be taken to prevent further harm to civilians.”
The UK foreign secretary, Yvette Cooper, wrote about
via Reuters
