Following Pakistan’s strikes in Afghanistan on Tehreek-e-Taliban (TTP) hideouts, the United States Tuesday urged the interim Afghan government to prevent terror attacks from their soil and also asked Islamabad to ensure the protection of civilian lives during security operations.
“We deeply regret the loss of life and injustices sustained during the attack in Pakistan and the loss of civilian lives during the strike in Afghanistan,” said State Department’s Principal Deputy Spokesperson Vedant Patel.
“We urge the Taliban to ensure that terrorist attacks are not launched from Afghan soil, and we urge Pakistan to exercise restraint and ensure civilians are not harmed in their counterterrorism efforts. And we urge both sides to address any differences,” he added.
The State Department’s statement comes a day after Pakistani forces carried out intelligence-based operations (IBOs) in the border regions inside Afghanistan against terrorists launching attacks in Pakistan from Afghan soil following the March 16 attack.
The Mir Ali attack martyred at least seven Pakistan Army soldiers — including a lieutenant colonel and captain — after they gallantly fought with terrorists as they attacked a security forces’ post in the Mir Ali area of North Waziristan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP).
Meanwhile, the Afghan Taliban had claimed that two airstrikes by the Pakistani forces inside Afghanistan had killed eight people in the war-torn country.
Patel, in his statement, said that Washington remains committed to ensuring that Afghanistan never again becomes a “haven for terrorists who wish to harm the United States or our partners and allies.”
