WASHINGTON: The United States on Friday expressed support for what it called Pakistan’s “right to defend itself” against attacks from Afghanistan’s Taliban rulers after Islamabad said earlier in the day that the neighbouring countries were in “open war”.
Afghanistan’s Taliban rulers had said on Friday they were willing to negotiate after Pakistan bombed their forces in major cities.
“The United States supports Pakistan’s right to defend itself against attacks from the Taliban, a Specially Designated Global Terrorist group,” a State Department spokesperson said in an emailed statement. US diplomat Allison Hooker said on X she spoke on Friday with Pakistan Foreign Secretary Amna Baloch.
Pakistan is a major non-NATO ally of Washington. The US considers the Afghan Taliban to be a “terrorist” group.
The State Department spokesperson said Washington was aware of the escalation in tensions and “outbreak of fighting between Pakistan and the Afghan Taliban,” adding the US was “saddened by the loss of life.”
“The Taliban have consistently failed to uphold their counterterrorism commitments,” the State Department said, adding that “terrorist groups use Afghanistan as a launching pad for their heinous attacks.”
Separately, the European Union’s foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas on Saturday called for Afghanistan and Pakistan to de-escalate and engage in dialogue after a sharp increase in violence between the South Asian countries.
“The EU reiterates that Afghan territory must not be used to threaten or attack other countries and calls on the Afghan de facto authorities to take effective action against all terrorist groups operating in or from Afghanistan,” Kallas said in a statement.
Meanwhile, Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar said on Saturday that Pakistan security forces had killed 331 Afghan Taliban combatants, destroyed 104 posts, and captured 22 others during Operation Ghazab Lil-Haq, launched in response to “unprovoked action” from across the border.
Sharing a summary of the Afghan Taliban regime’s losses at 9am, Attaullah Tarar said that more than 500 Afghan operatives were injured during Operation Ghazab Lil-Haq. The minister added that 163 tanks and armoured vehicles had been destroyed during the operation, while 37 locations across Afghanistan were effectively targeted by air strikes.
Also, Federal Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Dr Tariq Fazal Chaudhary Saturday said the Indian government and its “propaganda-driven media machinery” must stop misleading the world with fabricated stories about Pakistan and Afghanistan.
In a post on his X account, he said, “The reality is clear and has been witnessed by the world: Pakistan has demonstrated its defensive capability with confidence and precision. When tensions escalated in the past, Indian aircraft, including Rafale jets, were neutralised and exposed before the international community. These are not narratives; these are events recorded and acknowledged globally.”
He said that instead of manufacturing propaganda, India should reflect on its own actions. Pakistan’s armed forces, he added, have consistently acted with resolve against Indian-backed terrorist networks operating across borders. Targeted operations have dismantled these elements one by one, and the world has seen the results.
He further said that no amount of media spins can rewrite facts. False narratives may serve domestic political purposes, but they cannot deceive the international community indefinitely. “Pakistan stands firm, vigilant, and fully capable of defending its sovereignty. Propaganda will fall. Truth will prevail,” he added.
Also, Federal Minister for Communications Abdul Aleem Khan has said that the launch of “Operation Ghazab-Lil-Haq” by Pakistan’s armed forces against the aggression of Taliban regime is a decisive and befitting response to persistent attacks on the country’s territorial integrity, civilians and security personnel along the Afghan border. In an official statement, the minister said the operation was initiated in response to continued aggression from elements operating from Afghan territory, adding that the action delivered a clear and strong message to hostile forces.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting firmly rejected claims circulated by Afghan news agencies and amplified by segments of Indian media, besides Khaleej Times, alleging that a Pakistani fighter jet was shot down in Nangarhar.
In a detailed fact-check issued by Fact Checker MoIB, officials described the report as false, unverified and part of a coordinated disinformation effort.
The claim, initially attributed to officials of the so-called Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, alleged that Afghan forces had downed a Pakistani aircraft in Nangarhar province. The narrative quickly gained traction across certain Afghan outlets and was subsequently picked up by Indian media platforms.
However, the Ministry categorically stated that no Pakistani aircraft had been shot down. Pakistan’s armed forces have reported no loss of any jet, and no independent international media organisation or credible defence monitoring agency verified the alleged incident.
Officials further pointed out the complete absence of evidence supporting the claim. No crash debris, wreckage site has surfaced. In contemporary conflict environments, aircraft losses are typically documented through satellite imagery, geolocation data or on-ground visuals within hours — none of which exist in this case.
The public has been advised to avoid relying on unverified battlefield claims circulated through partisan sources and to cross-check information with official authorities and reputable international agencies before sharing content online.
Also, the US Mission in Pakistan issued a security alert for American citizens citing heightened border tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan and warning of potential terrorist threats in major cities. The US Mission advised American citizens to exercise caution when visiting such locations and to follow strict personal security measures.
