WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The United States has reaffirmed its support for Pakistan’s fight against terrorism, saying Islamabad has the right to defend itself against terrorist attacks as tensions along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border continue.
A spokesperson for the US State Department said the Pakistani people have suffered greatly because of terrorism and reiterated that Washington supports Pakistan’s efforts to protect its security.
The statement comes after a sharp rise in hostilities between Pakistan and Afghanistan. The two neighbors fought their most serious clashes in years in February, and tensions have remained high since then.
Pakistan’s security forces said they killed 29 terrorists during an intelligence-based operation along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border on Sunday. The military said the operation included calibrated strikes on militant hideouts and safe havens. According to Islamabad, those killed belonged to the Indian proxy group Jamaatul Ahrar, also referred to as Fitna al-Khawarij.
Later in the week, Afghanistan’s Taliban claimed they had carried out airstrikes inside Pakistani territory. Pakistan, however, said its armed forces intercepted and shot down four rudimentary drones in Balochistan.
Although Pakistan has significantly stronger conventional military capabilities and is a nuclear-armed state, the Afghan Taliban have extensive experience in guerrilla warfare after decades of conflict before returning to power in 2021 following the US withdrawal from Afghanistan.
Relations between Washington and Islamabad have improved since President Donald Trump returned to the White House. Pakistan remains a major non-NATO ally of the United States and has also played a mediating role in efforts related to the US-Israel conflict with Iran.
The United States continues to classify the Afghan Taliban as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist group. Washington has repeatedly urged the Taliban government to stop providing safe haven to militant groups that launch cross-border attacks into Pakistan.
Pakistan accuses Afghanistan of sheltering militants responsible for planning attacks inside its territory. The Taliban reject these allegations, insisting that militancy is Pakistan’s internal issue and accusing Islamabad of shifting blame for its own security challenges.