Pakistan Air Force strike Kabul amidst India-Afghanistan talks? Social media videos claim so
A journalist watches the live streaming of talks between Afghanistan's Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi and India's Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar | Reuters
At a time Afghanistan Minister of Foreign Affairs Amir Khan Muttaqi is in New Delhi, there are unconfirmed reports of Pakistan launching airstrikes in Kabul. However, there was no word about the development from the Taliban.
According to some reports, Pakistan scrambled its jets to target Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) chief Noor Wali Mehsud, who is said to be in Kabul. The banned TTP has engaged Pakistani forces several times in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province in recent days, inflicting casualties. According to some Pak social media handles, Noor Wali Mehsud was taken out by the airstrikes.
The attack, if true, could be a message to India and Afghanistan by Pakistan, as Amir Khan Muttaqi's New Delhi visit is a groundbreaking development. MEA S Jaishankar said on Friday confirmed that New Delhi was upgrading its technical mission in the Afghan capital, Kabul, to an embassy.
The X handle of Zabihullah Mujahid, the spokesman of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, confirmed late on Thursday night that "The sound of an explosion was heard in the city of Kabul." There was no need to worry and an investigation was underway, he said. "No report of any damage has been given so far... it is all well and good," the X post added.
According to Pak media, several Kabul residents reported hearing the explosions and seeing drones. Security forces were searching cars in many neighbourhoods and some had lost mobile network, they claimed.
While several X users showed videos of night Kabul sky claiming to be the moments of the Pakistani attack, THE WEEK couldn’t independantly verify the claims.
India-Afghan ties
India is fully committed to sovereignty, territorial integrity and independence of Afghanistan, Jaishankar said in the presence of his Afghan counterpart. Taliban will not allow its soil to be used to launch terror attacks on India, Muttaqi claimed before praising India. Muttaqi also thanked India for quickly coming to his country's aid after a tragic earthquake on August 31.
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