UN Chief Urges Restraint Amid Afghanistan-Pakistan Border Tensions
According to the International Desk of Webangah News Agency, UN Secretary-General António Guterres is following the border developments between Afghanistan and Pakistan with great concern. His spokesperson, Stéphane Dujarric, emphasized the importance of maintaining regional stability during a press briefing.
“The Secretary-General strongly calls on both parties, Afghanistan and Pakistan, to refrain from any actions that could escalate tensions,” Dujarric stated. He added that Guterres is persistently urging both Islamabad and Kabul to continue their efforts to resolve any differences through diplomatic channels.
The UN spokesperson reiterated the international responsibilities of both countries, noting, “The Secretary-General once again stresses the necessity for Afghanistan and Pakistan to fully adhere to their commitments under international law and calls for the complete guarantee of the protection of civilians’ lives and property in the affected areas.”
Earlier, Pakistan’s Defense Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif had declared that Pakistan’s patience had run out and that the country had entered an open war. Pakistan’s Information Minister Attaullah Tarar stated that Pakistani forces targeted Taliban defensive positions in Kabul, Paktia, and Kandahar, resulting in the destruction of 27 Taliban positions and the capture of nine others. He also reported that 133 Afghan Taliban fighters were killed and over 200 were injured. Pakistan’s counter-attacks on Taliban positions are ongoing.
In response, Afghanistan’s Ministry of Defense announced that 55 Pakistani soldiers were killed in retaliatory operations against Pakistan. Hamdullah Fatrat, Deputy Spokesperson for the Afghan government, stated that as a result of the country’s heavy and targeted attacks, dozens of Pakistani soldiers were killed, approximately 20 checkpoints were captured, and enemy equipment was seized. Zabiullah Mujahid, the spokesperson for the Afghan government, had previously announced that in response to the Pakistani military’s transgressions and provocations, a large-scale offensive operation against the centers and military installations of Pakistani forces along the Durand Line had commenced.
