‘Serious consequences’: Pakistani Taliban threaten to attack ‘terrorist strongholds’ in Afghanistan

The Taliban-led government in Afghanistan warned Pakistan on Friday that any incursion into its territory would have grave consequences, a day after Pakistan’s Defense Minister Khawaja Asif warned that Pakistan may target the banned terrorist organization TTP’s safe havens in Afghanistan as part of a newly launched so-called military operation against terrorism.

“Afghanistan warns that any incursion into our territory, regardless of pretext or undercover, will have serious consequences and violators will be held accountable,” the Afghan Defense Forces warned.

“Pakistan’s defense minister’s latest announcement regarding a potential violation of Afghanistan’s national sovereignty is both ill-advised and an attempt to muddy the waters to the benefit of no one. Pakistani leaders should refrain from making such sensitive statements on critical issues,” the statement said.

Last week, the government announced the launch of “Operation Azm-i-Istehkam” to combat the growing threat of terrorism in the wake of summer support from the Afghan Taliban to end the use of their land by the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) insurgents against Pakistan.

In an interview with Voice of America, Asif said the decision to launch the anti-terrorist operation was not made in haste, The Express Tribune newspaper reported.

“The decision on Azm-e-Istehkam was taken due to economic hardships and it may also affect TTP sanctuaries across the border,” he told a state-run US news station and an international radio station.

The minister said this would not be against international law as Afghanistan was “exporting” terrorism to Pakistan and the “exporters” were being hidden there, the Dawn newspaper reported.

Asif said that although the TTP operates from a neighbouring country, its cadre, numbering about several thousand, “operate from within the country”.

He also ruled out any chances for dialogue with the banned group, claiming that there was no common ground for understanding.

The TTP, also known as the Pakistani Taliban, was formed in 2007 as an umbrella group of several militant groups. Its primary goal is to impose its strict brand of Islam across Pakistan.

The group is believed to have close ties to al-Qaeda and the Afghan Taliban. It is accused of carrying out several deadly attacks across Pakistan, including the 2009 attack on army headquarters, attacks on military bases and the 2008 bombing of the Marriott Hotel in Islamabad.

(with information from PTI)