KABUL: Afghanistan’s Taliban government warned India and Pakistan on Wednesday that further escalation was not “in the interest of the region” after they exchanged artillery fire along their contested frontier.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement on the social media platform X that “it urges both sides to exercise restraint and resolve their issues through dialogue and diplomacy.”
Islamabad said 26 civilians were killed by the Indian strikes or gunfire along the border, while New Delhi reported at least 12 dead from Pakistani shelling.
Relations between the Taliban government and neighboring Pakistan have been strained over security concerns and Islamabad’s deportation campaign which has expelled tens of thousands of Afghans since the beginning of April.
The Taliban, who returned to power in Kabul in the summer of 2021, have in contrast developed closer ties with New Delhi, even though it does not recognize their government.
The violence between India and Pakistan was sparked after New Delhi accused Pakistan of backing the deadliest attack in years on civilians in Indian-administered Kashmir on April 22, which killed 26 men. Islamabad rejects the charge.
