The Taliban attacked Pakistani border posts Saturday, triggering clashes that killed dozens. The Taliban mentioned the assault was retaliatory, blaming Pakistan for airstrikes in Afghanistan days earlier.
A MARTÍNEZ, HOST:
Pakistani and Afghan forces exchanged fireplace throughout the border over the week and killing dozens, in line with authorities there. It is an escalation of an already precarious relationship between the South Asian neighbors. Betsy Joles has extra from Islamabad.
BETSY JOLES, BYLINE: The border battle began two days after a number of explosions had been reported inside Afghanistan on Thursday. Afghan officers blamed Pakistan for the blasts and fired on its border posts in retaliation. Either side traded lethal fireplace on fireplace. It was essentially the most heated trade between the international locations in years, however it did not come out of nowhere. Pakistan has been struggling to manage a lethal insurgency in its mountainous border area with Afghanistan. That is the realm the place the TTP is lively. They’re often known as the Pakistani Taliban, and Pakistan blames the Taliban authorities in Afghanistan for offering them a secure haven.
The TTP have turned up assaults inside Pakistan for the reason that Taliban took over Afghanistan in 2021. Pakistan has neither confirmed nor denied it was behind the strikes in Afghanistan on Thursday. Residents of Pakistan’s border area with Afghanistan have been uprooted by months of intermittent crackdowns in opposition to the TTP by Pakistan safety forces.
SANA ULLAH: (Non-English language spoken).
JOLES: Sana Ullah (ph) is from Datta Khel, in North Waziristan, a risky area in northwest Pakistan, the place a latest marketing campaign in opposition to the TTP occurred. He says some individuals from his space got three hours to evacuate final month as militants entered their space, and Pakistan safety forces went after them. They left in a rush with out being allowed to take any belongings with them, he says. They’re now staying in a close-by village. They have been instructed by authorities that it is secure to return, however they’re reluctant – they do not need to be displaced once more. Sana Ullah, like many others within the area, concern issues may solely worsen if tensions with Afghanistan escalate additional.
For NPR Information, I am Betsy Joles in Islamabad.
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