Pakistan, Afghan Taliban border clashes: What's next?

DW (English)

Intense fighting erupted between Pakistani forces and Afghanistan's Taliban regime over the weekend. The conflict could have serious and far-reaching implications for the volatile region. DW analyzes.

Transcript

00:00Pakistani forces and Taliban fighters in Afghanistan exchanged heavy gunfire over the weekend

00:07along their border, marking the deadliest conflict between them since the Taliban returned to power

00:14in Kabul in 2021. Both Pakistani officials and the Afghan Taliban claim to have

00:21inflicted heavy losses on the opposing side. Islamabad has long claimed that the Afghan

00:28Taliban are sheltering militants belonging to the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, TTP, which is

00:35responsible for carrying out deadly attacks inside Pakistan. We do engage them and we clearly

00:41communicate and we put the evidence that these are leaders there, these are the

00:47workers who are present, these are your needs. So yes, we engage, but at the same time

00:55we are doing and we will continue to do whatever is necessary. The Taliban rulers in

01:12Afghanistan deny these claims.

01:42The latest conflict erupted after Pakistan allegedly launched airstrikes against TTP militants

01:56inside Afghanistan earlier last week.

02:00Then on Friday, October the 10th, the TTP carried out a series of attacks that killed

02:07scores of Pakistani security officials.

02:11Analysts believe the Islamabad-Taliban conflict could have far-reaching implications for the

02:17volatile region with the heavy presence of Islamist groups.

02:22I think that the Afghan side has already announced a ceasefire on its side and so I don't see

02:30an increase or more war with Afghanistan right now.

02:36Afghanistan might be taking more action by doing airstrikes or like it would not be sending

02:42ground troops to the border region.

02:44If the Taliban continues like that, the situation will be more complicated and it needs international

02:56communities interaction or a kind of interference.

03:03So how did Pakistan and the Afghan Taliban who were once close allies reach this point?

03:10After the Taliban come to the power in Afghanistan, the terrorist organizations, they have mobilized

03:18themselves in Afghanistan, even with the support of the Taliban, including TTP.

03:27This is the main issue between Afghanistan and Pakistan, even it's a big issue between Afghanistan

03:36and the Central Asian countries and also China and Russia.

03:42So until we do not have a proper solution for the key question, which is the role of the international

03:52terrorist organizations in Afghanistan, this conflict will continue.

03:57The relationship between Pakistan and Afghanistan reached this point because since the Taliban regime

04:03took over in 2021, we have been seeing attacks happening in Pakistan and Pakistan has been regularly

04:12asking the Taliban regime in Afghanistan to take action against TTP and other militant groups

04:18that have been waging attacks in Pakistan.

04:21But we have not seen any concrete action from Afghanistan's side against these groups.

04:27Both Pakistan and the Afghan Taliban have sealed multiple border crossings that are vital for

04:33cross-border trade and people's movement.

04:36The latest military escalation might not result in a full-blown war between the two neighbors,

04:42but for people already reeling from militant attacks, it threatens to usher in yet another

04:48era of volatility and instability.

04:53The war between Pakistan and Afghanistan will affect people on both sides of the border.

04:57Because already we have seen Pakistan closing down borders with Afghanistan, Torkham and Jamban,

05:03the two biggest borders have closed down, they are still not open.

05:07It will have a big effect on the refugees living in Pakistan from the last four decades.

05:12Because Pakistan had already started this illegal, this operation against Afghan refugees in 2023,

05:18I see a further escalation and further action by Pakistani government against Afghans living

05:23in Pakistan.

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