China Urges Afghanistan and Pakistan to Exercise Restraint
Beijing - The Chinese government has urged Afghanistan and Pakistan to exercise mutual restraint following tit-for-tat military attacks at multiple points along their shared border.
“China is closely monitoring developments in Pakistan and Afghanistan. As their neighbours and friends, China is deeply concerned about the escalating Pakistan-Afghanistan conflict and saddened by the loss of life,” said Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning at a press conference in Beijing on Friday, 27 February.
Pakistan launched a series of air strikes against various Taliban facilities, including ammunition depots in Khost and Nangarhar provinces in Afghanistan on Friday morning local time. The air strikes were part of Operation Ghazab Lil Haq (Onslaught of Justice), launched after Afghan Taliban forces attacked Pakistani border positions on Thursday night.
“Pakistan and Afghanistan are and will always remain neighbours to each other. They are also neighbours to China,” Mao Ning added.
According to Mao Ning, the intensity of the ongoing clashes between Pakistan and Afghanistan has exceeded previous levels. “Any prolongation or escalation of tensions will cause losses and damage to both sides. China supports the elimination of all forms of terrorism and calls on both parties to remain calm, exercise restraint, and resolve their differences and disputes properly through dialogue and negotiation,” Mao Ning stated.
He also urged both countries to end hostilities as soon as possible to avoid further suffering. “This is in the fundamental interests of both countries and peoples, and will help maintain peace and stability in the region. China has served as a mediator between the two countries through our own channels and is ready to continue playing a constructive role in easing tensions and improving relations between them,” Mao Ning added.
China’s Foreign Ministry and embassies in Pakistan and Afghanistan are maintaining communication with relevant parties in both countries. “China also requests that Pakistan and Afghanistan ensure the safety and security of Chinese personnel, projects and institutions in both countries,” Mao Ning emphasised.
However, Mao Ning said China had not yet decided whether to evacuate Chinese nationals from the two countries. “We will provide necessary assistance to Chinese nationals requiring help in both countries,” he said.
The Afghan attack on Thursday targeted Pakistani forces along the Durand Line, the border between the two countries which Afghanistan does not officially recognise, in retaliation for air strikes by Pakistan’s air force. According to the Afghan Ministry of Defence, its forces killed 55 Pakistani soldiers and seized dozens of Pakistani military equipment during the operation, whilst eight Afghan security personnel were killed and 11 others wounded. The ministry stated that military operations along the border have now concluded.
Pakistani Prime Minister’s spokesperson Mosharraf Zaidi reported 72 Afghan militants killed, more than 120 wounded, 16 posts destroyed, and seven Afghan posts captured in Pakistan’s retaliatory strikes. Reports indicated Pakistani forces fired on a hospital in the Torkham border area in eastern Nangarhar province on Friday, injuring one person.
An official from Nangarhar’s health department stated that “the 20-bed hospital facility in Torkham was attacked by Pakistan’s military regime, injuring a medical worker.” The casualty was transferred to another medical facility for treatment.
Earlier, Pakistan’s Minister of Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar stated that at least two Pakistani soldiers were killed and three others wounded after Taliban forces attacked Pakistani border positions. Tarar said security forces had launched a rapid and effective counter-strike, and Pakistan would take all necessary steps to ensure territorial integrity and protect its citizens’ safety and security.
In response to Pakistan’s strikes, Afghanistan subsequently launched new military operations from the southern provinces of Helmand and Kandahar.