The Pakistani Armed Forces have resumed military operations against Afghanistan following the expiration of a temporary ceasefire, Tahir Hussain Andrabi, the official spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Republic, confirmed.
Earlier, TOLO News, citing Afghan military sources, reported that the Pakistani Air Force had violated Afghan airspace. The suspension of hostilities between Islamabad and Kabul expired at 22:00 MSK on March 23, with neither side announcing an extension of the truce.
"The pause concluded on the night between March 23 and 24. Operation Ghazab Lil Haq [translated from Urdu as 'Wrath for the Truth'] is currently ongoing," Andrabi stated during a press briefing in response to journalists' questions.
Fighting initially reignited along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border on the evening of February 26. Kabul claimed it was conducting a military operation in retaliation for recent Pakistani airstrikes on Afghan territory. In response, Pakistani Defense Minister Khawaja Asif declared that his country and the Taliban government in Afghanistan were now in a state of open armed confrontation.
On March 18, Islamabad and Kabul had announced a five-day ceasefire to coincide with the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Fitr. Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Turkey acted as mediators for that agreement.
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Photo: Maqsood aktar/Creative Commons 4.0
Based on materials from TASS