Pakistani Airstrikes kill civilians in Eastern Afghanistan and severely damage bilateral relations

On December 24, Pakistan conducted multiple airstrikes on alleged Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) hideouts in eastern Afghanistan’s Paktika province. These airstrikes killed at least 46 people, primarily innocent children and women, rather than TTP militants.[1]

The UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) expressed concern over reports indicating that at least 20 children were killed in Pakistan’s airstrikes in Afghanistan. In response, the Afghan Taliban vowed to seek revenge for the attacks.[2] This incident marked the second such cross-border air assault carried out by Pakistan on Afghan territory in the past year. In March, Pakistan executed two airstrikes in Khost and Paktika provinces, resulting in the deaths of five Afghan women and children.[3] The Afghan Taliban retaliated by targeting Pakistani positions along the border. These recurring unilateral military actions highlight Pakistan’s intent to undermine Afghanistan’s territorial sovereignty and jeopardize the lives of innocent Afghan civilians.

To avenge the December airstrikes, Taliban security forces reportedly targeted “several points” inside Pakistan. The Taliban Defense Ministry announced on X/Twitter that its forces aimed at Pakistani sites that “served as centers and hideouts for malicious elements and their supporters who organized and coordinated attacks in Afghanistan.”[4] According to social media reports, Taliban’s retaliatory strikes resulted in the deaths of 19 Pakistani troops. At the same time, three Afghan civilians also died in the ensuing violence.[5] While Pakistan has denied reports of retaliatory strikes from Afghanistan, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) confirmed the airstrikes on December 24 in the Barmal district of Paktika province, describing the operation as intelligence-based and aimed at neutralizing “threats to Pakistani citizens’ security.” On the other hand, Afghanistan’s defense ministry labeled the civilians killed in the air bombardment as “mostly Waziristani refugees,” indicating they were from Pakistan’s Waziristan region.

The UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) also addressed the incident, reporting credible evidence that dozens of civilians, including women and children, were killed in the Pakistani airstrikes. In a statement, UNAMA called for a thorough investigation “to ensure accountability, prevent future incidents, and uphold victims’ rights.”[6] Under pressure from international organizations, Pakistan has begun trying to adopt the ‘victim’ narrative in the discourse on terrorism. The Taliban Ministry of National Defense reiterated in its official statement that “the Islamic Emirate considers this brutal bombing a violation of international principles and a clear act of aggression.” Interestingly, the airstrikes occurred on the same day the Taliban administration hosted meetings with a ‘high-level Pakistani delegation,’ including Mohammad Sadiq, Pakistan’s special representative to Afghanistan, marking the resumption of such engagements after a year-long pause due to terrorism allegations.[7]

Experts suggest that Pakistan’s military establishment does not desire a peaceful and stable relationship with Afghanistan and intends to leverage the alleged ‘cross-border terrorism’ narrative to attract international attention. Notably, the United States and other Western countries have sidelined Pakistan following the withdrawal of foreign troops from Afghanistan in August 2021. More significantly, the interim Taliban administration has refused to comply with orders from Islamabad or to enhance relations with India, among other nations.[8] Despite several diplomatic efforts, challenges are expected to persist between Pakistan and the Taliban. Pakistan is currently facing unprecedented internal political and economic crises, and the Taliban leadership is closely monitoring these developments, making them cautious about hasty decisions favoring Pakistan.

Furthermore, Islamabad has struggled to persuade other countries to formally recognize the Taliban government in Afghanistan, exacerbating tensions in their relationship. Ongoing disputes over the TTP issue, regular cross-border skirmishes, and frequent border closures have only deepened the rift between the two nations. Given these circumstances and Pakistan’s unilateral military actions, the Taliban are unlikely to feel compelled to advance Islamabad’s strategic interests in the region. Conversely, the Taliban are fostering relationships with other countries, including India, much to Pakistan’s chagrin. Moreover, Pakistani military and political leaders have issued derogatory remarks about Afghanistan. Last year, General Asim Munir, Chief of the Pakistani Army Staff, remarked that the life of one Pakistani holds more value than all of Afghanistan. He warned the Taliban leadership that “if necessary, Pakistan will destroy the entirety of Afghanistan.”[9]

Taliban leaders have consistently refuted allegations that Afghan territory is being utilized as a base for terror attacks on Pakistan. The interim Taliban government asserts it does not support the TTP or any other foreign militant group, framing the violence in Pakistan as an “internal issue” for the neighboring country to resolve rather than placing blame on Kabul. Afghanistan is landlocked and heavily relies on Pakistani overland routes and seaports for bilateral and international trade. Tensions surrounding terrorism accusations have led to a significant downturn in Afghan trade and transit activities through Pakistan in recent months. Recent reports indicate that more than 950 Pakistanis, including security personnel and civilians, have died in alleged terror attacks in 2024 alone. These figures reflect a complete failure of Pakistan’s military establishment, which recently declared a new counterterrorism operation, Azm-i-Istehkam (Resolve for Stability), in June 2024.[10]

In an effort to deflect public criticism over its ongoing failures, Pakistan’s military has placed blame on Afghanistan for the rising security instability, particularly in the border provinces of Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Both countries have engaged in high-level diplomatic meetings since August 2021, including visits by Pakistan’s defense minister and the head of its intelligence agency, Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), in February last year.[11] Despite these efforts, bilateral relations continue to deteriorate as Islamabad seeks to dominate Afghanistan and regard it as a subordinate entity. Experts foresee further cross-border military actions from Pakistan into Afghanistan, along with possible border closures, to exert economic pressure on the Taliban government and increase the chances of a limited military conflict between the two countries.[12] Amidst all this, the civilian population in the eastern provinces of Afghanistan remains vulnerable to Pakistani military strikes.

Sources:

[1] https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/least-46-killed-pakistani-bombardment-afghanistan-afghan-taliban-spokesperson-2024-12-25/

[2] https://www.france24.com/en/asia-pacific/20241225-afghan-taliban-vow-retaliate-pakistani-air-strikes-kill-at-least-46

[3] https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/blogs/new-atlanticist/experts-react-pakistan-just-carried-out-airstrikes-on-afghanistan-whats-next/

[4] https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/12/28/afghan-taliban-hit-several-points-in-pakistan-in-retaliation-for-attacks

[5] https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/afghan-forces-target-pakistan-retaliation-deadly-airstrikes-killed-117162026

[6] https://amu.tv/146600/

[7] https://www.voanews.com/a/pakistan-resumes-senior-level-contacts-with-afghanistan-s-taliban-to-address-mutual-tensions/7912605.html

[8] https://www.aljazeera.com/program/inside-story/2024/12/29/why-are-relations-between-pakistan-and-afghanistan-so-tense

[9] https://8am.media/eng/asim-munirs-warning-to-the-taliban-escalation-in-the-expulsion-of-afghan-refugees/

[10] https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/6/24/azm-e-istehkam-can-new-pakistani-military-operation-curb-armed-attacks

[11] https://thefridaytimes.com/22-Feb-2023/khawaja-asif-dg-isi-meet-taliban-leadership-in-kabul

[12] https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-14238841/We-dont-care-nukes-Taliban-sends-battalions-border-Pakistan-amid-fears-war-two-countries-trade-deadly-strikes-mounting-conflict.html

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