US President Donald Trump said on Friday that he “got along with Pakistan very well” and that Islamabad is doing “terrifically well” when asked about a possible intervention in the ongoing “open war” between Pakistan and Afghanistan.
Pakistan said on Friday that it was in an “open war” with Afghanistan after its forces killed more than 270 Taliban fighters and injured over 400 others in airstrikes. Follow live updates here.
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Meanwhile, Zabihullah Mujahid, spokesman for Afghanistan’s Taliban government, said Afghan forces killed 55 Pakistani soldiers and struck what he called “important military objectives” inside Pakistan.
Will Trump intervene in Pakistan-Afghanistan conflict?
Responding to a question on the ongoing tensions between the neighbouring countries and a possible intervention by the US, Trump hinted at possible backing for Pakistan, saying that he “gets along” with Islamabad “very well”.
“Well, I would (intervene), but I get along with Pakistan, as you know, very well. Very, very well. You have a great Prime Minister, you have a great general there, you have a great leader, two of the people that I really respect a lot,” he told reporters.
In what appeared to be a show of support for Pakistan, the US President said that Islamabad is “doing terrifically well” in its border clashes with Afghanistan.
Pakistan-Afghanistan ‘open war’
Pakistan carried out airstrikes on major Afghan cities, including the capital Kabul, on Friday. Islamabad’s defence minister said the neighbouring countries were in an “open war” after months of back-and-forth clashes.
The assault marked Pakistan’s most extensive bombing of Kabul and its first strikes on the Taliban’s southern stronghold since the group returned to power in 2021.
The latest strikes by Pakistan followed an attack by Afghan forces on Pakistani border troops on Thursday night in what they described a retaliation for earlier air raids conducted by Islamabad.
Ties between the neighbours have sharply worsened in recent months. Land border crossings have mostly remained closed since deadly clashes in October that left more than 70 people dead on both sides.
Notably, Islamabad accuses Afghanistan of not taking action against militant groups responsible for attacks in Pakistan. The Taliban administration denies this claim.
Most of the assaults have been claimed by the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), a militant organisation that has increased attacks in Pakistan since the Afghan Taliban regained power.
With inputs from agencies
Will Trump intervene in Pakistan-Afghanistan ‘open war’? US President says Islamabad doing ‘terrifically well’
