Taliban commander threatens to respond against Pakistan military

Kabul – A senior Taliban commander has threatened the Pakistani army, asking them to immediately stop mortar attacks on Afghanistan. Otherwise, the Taliban will respond in the Pakistani military’s language. The Taliban’s threat comes after an Afghan civilian was wounded in an attack by Pakistani forces in Kunar province. These are not hollow threats as some reports suggest the Taliban is deploying rocket launchers near the Pakistani border.

Abu Dujana, the commander of the ‘201st Khalid bin Walid Corps’ of the Taliban, threatened the Pakistani army while speaking to an Afghan news channel. He further said, ‘The Taliban regime in Afghanistan wants to establish good relations with all its neighbours. However, the Taliban still has the weapons needed to secure Afghanistan.’

‘Afghanistan is a very precious land. We have made great sacrifices for this. Afghanistan also wants good relations with Pakistan, along with the other countries. But if the Pakistani military does not stop the attacks on the Afghan border, the Taliban will respond in the same language that Pakistan understands.’ Dujana warned.

Two days ago, the Pakistani army launched a series of mortar attacks in the Chogam area of Afghanistan’s Kunar province, which injured one Afghan national and damaged the houses. Afghans are complaining that Pakistani drones are also hovering over their villages in addition to the mortar attacks. It was alleged that the Taliban fired at Pakistani drones to drive them away. It seems the Taliban commander appears to have threatened the Pakistani military due to this provocation.

The Pakistani government is reluctant to comment on the ongoing conflict with the Afghan Taliban and the threats posed by the Taliban. The Pakistani government is pressuring its media not to cover encounters on the Durand Line; however, it is getting reported by the Afghan media. For the past two weeks, fierce fighting has been raging between the Afghan Taliban and Pakistani forces on the Durand Line. Afghan media have accused the Pakistani military of targeting civilian settlements. Last week, the Taliban tore down a barbed-wire fence on the Durand Line and killed four Pakistani soldiers. The opposition leaders in Pakistan are questioning the government that if this is the response of the Taliban for the support and assistance provided by Pakistan, why is the Pakistani government still advocating for the Taliban before the international community? Prime Minister Imran Khan’s government has not responded to the question.

Journalists and analysts in Pakistan are worried that the Taliban will be the biggest challenge to the Pakistan government in the coming times.