Kabul, Afghanistan — Mortars and missiles fired from Pakistan hit a university and civilian homes in northeastern Afghanistan on Monday, killing seven and wounding at least 85, Afghan officials said. Pakistan rejected the allegation of targeting the university.
This attack was the first violent incident since Peace talks mediated by China between the two sides earlier this month.
were entangled in Pakistan and Afghanistan months of deadly fighting Hundreds of people have died since the end of February Afghanistan attacked across the border on Pakistan in retaliation for Pakistani air strikes inside Afghanistan. Islamabad declared it was at open war with Afghanistan, leading to an increase in violence that alarmed the international community.
Pakistan’s Ministry of Information and Broadcasting dismissed Afghan media reports and official statements about the attack on the university as “blatant lies”.
Pakistan accuses Afghanistan of harboring terrorists who carry out deadly attacks inside Pakistan Pakistani TalibanWhich is known as Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan or TTP. The group is separate from, but affiliated with, the Afghan Taliban, which took over Afghanistan in 2021 following a chaotic withdrawal of US-led troops. Kabul denied the allegation.
Afghan and Pakistani officials met in Urumqi, western China, in early April, and agreed not to escalate their conflict and “seek a comprehensive solution”, China’s government said after brokering the talks.
Monday’s attacks are the first major attack since the talks, highlighting the weak nature of peace efforts brokered by the international community. Apart from China, other countries that have been involved in mediation between the two parties at various times include Turkey, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia.
Fighting between the two sides largely subsided in March. declared a temporary ceasefire For the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Fitr which marks the end of the holy month of Ramadan. ceasefire was observed A deadly Pakistani airstrike On 17 March, Afghanistan said more than 400 civilians were killed in an attack on a drug treatment facility in the Afghan capital Kabul. Pakistan denied targeting civilian facilities and disputed the death toll.
still, Sporadic cross-border fighting continued Even when delegations from both sides were participating in talks in Urumqi.
Afghan deputy government spokesman Hamdullah Fitrat said mortar and missile attacks hit various areas of Asadabad city, the capital of Kunar province, as well as another district in the province on Monday afternoon.
Kunar Information and Culture Director Najibullah Hanafi said the death toll was seven, while 85 people were injured.
Fitrat said the injured included women, children and students of Syed Jamaluddin Afghani University and described the attacks as “an unforgivable war crime, barbaric and provocative act.”
Higher Ministry of Afghanistan Education About 30 students and professors were injured in the attack on the university, which said there was extensive damage to the facility’s buildings and grounds.
In a statement, Pakistan’s Ministry of Information said that “Pakistan’s targeting is precise and intelligence-based. There has been no attack on Syed Jamaluddin Afghan University. The claims are frivolous and fake.”
On Saturday, Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Mutaqi described recent talks in China as “positive.”
“You all are aware of our recent problems with Pakistan. The latest talks were held in Urumqi under the mediation of China and these talks were positive,” he said during a graduation ceremony at the Diplomacy Institute of the Ministry of External Affairs.
“The issues between the two countries are very sensitive between neighbors and two Islamic neighboring countries and should not be treated irresponsibly,” he said.
Earlier this month, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in Afghanistan said the conflict had displaced 94,000 people overall.
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Associated Press writers Munir Ahmed in Islamabad, Pakistan, and Elena Bekatoros in Athens, Greece contributed to this report.
