Pakistan and Afghanistan have accused one another of launching new cross-border attacks, threatening a fragile ceasefire agreed in March. Afghanistan's Taliban authorities said Monday that four people were killed in attacks in the eastern Kunar province, while Pakistani officials reported at least three civilians injured by gunfire in South Waziristan.
The resumption of violence undermines peace talks between the neighbors, who had agreed to a truce in March after weeks of deadly clashes. Taliban Deputy Spokesperson Hamdullah Fitrat alleged that the Pakistani military launched mortar and rocket attacks that wounded 45 people, including students, women, and children, and targeted homes and Sayed Jamaluddin Afghani University in Asadabad.
“We strongly condemn these attacks by the Pakistani military regime, in which ordinary people, academic, and educational institutions were targeted, and declare them unforgivable war crimes,” Fitrat wrote on social media. Pakistan's Information Ministry dismissed the report as a “blatant lie” and insisted there was no attack on the university.
A spokesman for Pakistan's border forces described the incident in South Waziristan as the most serious clash since the ceasefire. The strikes were the first major attack since the sides agreed to halt violence at China-mediated peace talks last month. Turkey, Qatar, the UAE, and Saudi Arabia have also tried to mediate.
Security issues remain a sticking point, particularly Pakistan's demand that Afghanistan curb the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) armed group, which conducts deadly attacks from Afghan bases. Islamabad accuses the Taliban government of sheltering the TTP, but Kabul rejects this, countering that Pakistan harbors hostile groups and disrespects Afghan sovereignty.
The border has been largely closed since deadly cross-border violence in October froze bilateral trade. The heaviest fighting in years erupted in February after Afghanistan launched an operation against Pakistani forces along the 2,640-kilometer Durand Line. Pakistan then launched airstrikes on Kabul and other cities, declaring an “open war.”
A truce was agreed in March during Eid al-Fitr, and China later said both sides had agreed to avoid escalation. However, sporadic violence has continued. The latest spike is reportedly linked to the shooting of a child by Pakistani forces near the Afghan border city of Spin Boldak, prompting Taliban forces to engage Pakistani troops.
Source: www.aljazeera.com