US supports Pakistan’s right to self-defence against Afghan Taliban attacks: Allison M. Hooker

WASHINGTON: US Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Allison M. Hooker on Saturday said Washington is closely monitoring the situation between Pakistan and Afghanistan and supports Pakistan’s right to defend itself against Taliban attacks.

In a post on X, Hooker said she had spoken with Pakistan’s Foreign Secretary to express condolences over the loss of lives in the recent conflict between Pakistan and the Afghan Taliban.

“We continue to monitor the situation closely and expressed support for Pakistan’s right to defend itself against Taliban attacks,” she wrote.

A US State Department spokesperson, in an emailed statement, said: “The United States supports Pakistan’s right to defend itself against attacks from the Taliban, a Specially Designated Global Terrorist group.”

“The Taliban have consistently failed to uphold their counterterrorism commitments,” the statement said, adding that “terrorist groups use Afghanistan as a launching pad for their heinous attacks.”

Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump has weighed in on the escalating military tensions between Pakistan and the Afghan Taliban regime, saying Islamabad is handling the situation “terrifically well” and he will not intervene in the conflict.

Speaking to reporters before heading to Texas, Trump was asked whether anyone had requested him to intervene.

Trump replied, “Well, I would, but I get along with Pakistan, as you know, very well, very well.

In remarks, Trump also praised Pakistan’s leadership, expressing respect for Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Army Chief General Asim Munir.

“You have a great Prime Minister. You have a great General there. You have a great leader. I think two of the people that I really respect. I think that Pakistan is doing terrifically well.”

Earlier, Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar said on Saturday that Pakistani security forces killed 331 Afghan Taliban fighters, wounded more than 500 others, destroyed 104 posts, and captured 22 militants during Operation Ghazab lil-Haq (Righteous Fury), launched in response to unprovoked cross-border attacks by the Afghan Taliban.

Providing a summary of the losses inflicted on the Afghan Taliban, Tarar said 163 tanks and armoured vehicles were destroyed during the operation, and 37 locations across Afghanistan were targeted in air strikes.

The operation, launched Friday night, includes coordinated air and ground strikes targeting Taliban positions along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border and key military installations in Afghanistan.