Hours after Pakistan conducted air strikes inside Afghanistan's Paktika and Khost provinces, the Taliban* warned the neighboring country of "bad consequences" in what the Afghan's current rulers described as "reckless" action taken by some of the neighboring country's military generals.
The Taliban confirmed that eight people were killed in the pre-dawn air strikes carried out by the Pakistan Air Force (PAF).
"The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, which has a long experience of freedom struggle against the superpowers of the world, does not allow anyone to invade its territory," Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid wrote on X. "Pakistan shouldn't blame Afghanistan for the lack of control, incompetence, and problems in its own territory. Such incidents can have very bad consequences which will not be in Pakistan's control."
Later, Pakistan's Foreign Ministry confirmed the military action taken against the alleged safe havens of the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP**) in Afghanistan.
"This morning Pakistan carried out intelligence-based anti-terrorist operations in the border regions inside Afghanistan," Islamabad said in a statement.
"The prime target of today's operation was the terrorists belonging to Hafiz Gul Bahadur Group, which along with Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), is responsible for multiple terrorist attacks inside Pakistan, resulting in deaths of hundreds of civilians and law enforcement officials," it mentioned.
The latest flash point between the two Asian nations came in the backdrop of increasing terrorist attacks in Pakistan.
On Saturday, Pakistan lost seven military personnel in an alleged attack by TTP militants in the North Waziristan district of the sovereign state.
Following the attack, Pakistan Defense Minister Khawaja Asif blamed the Taliban for being hand-in-glove with TTP militants whom he claimed were given safe sanctuaries in Afghanistan.
*under UN sanctions
**banned terrorist group