Pakistan Violates Ceasefire Again, Fires Projectiles Into Afghanistan

Kabul: Cross-border tensions flared as Pakistan again violated the ceasefire by firing projectiles into Afghanistan on Thursday, reports stated. The violation came just before delegations from the two countries were scheduled to meet in Turkey's Istanbul for peace talks.

It is reported that Pakistan targeted civilian areas. Videos from Afghanistan's border town of Spin Boldak showed civilians running on the streets amid the attack. As per reports, Pakistan also engaged in a mortar attack.

Afghanistan has not yet retaliated to the firing by its neighbouring country.

Earlier, Pakistan's Defence Minister Khawaja Asif issued a warning to the Taliban. According to Pakistani media Dawn, the minister threatened to attack Afghanistan and “push them back to the caves” if another militant attack took place in Pakistan.

This is not the first time that Pakistan has violated the fragile ceasefire agreement. Another violation came last month when Pakistan launched an air strike on the Afghan province of Paktika. Three local cricketers and several other people were killed in the bombing.

The recent conflicts between Pakistan and Afghanistan began in early October, when Pakistan attacked Kabul while Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi was in India for an official state visit. Week-long clashes between Taliban and Pakistani forces led to casualties on both sides, causing a temporary shutdown of important border crossings and disrupting trade and civilian movement.

The Spin Boldak-Chaman border crossing, a vital hub for trade and travel, has faced several violent incidents in recent months as ties between the Taliban and Pakistan continued to worsen.

Islamabad accuses the Taliban of sheltering members of the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), which is blamed for attacks in Pakistan. The accusation is, however, rejected by the Taliban regime.

Thousands of Afghans have returned from Pakistan amid mounting tension between the two countries.

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