Description: Afghanistan’s Defense Ministry stated that its military forces managed to neutralize more than 40 fighters who crossed into Afghanistan from the Pakistani border in the district of Kamdesh of the Nuristan province. The ministry additionally accused Pakistan of supporting these insurgents through training, weapons supply and logistics across the border, an accusation that Pakistan has repeatedly denied. The operation is part of the ongoing cross – border fighting where both countries have exchanged accusations of harboring such movements against each other. Separately, anti – Taliban resistance groups in Afghanistan, such as the Afghan United Front, the National Resistance Front, the National Mobilization and others were responsible for more than 37 targeted operations against the Afghan Taliban throughout Sep.
Impact: Cross border fighting between Afghanistan and Pakistan is highly likely to continue and escalate in the short to mid – term considering that the Durand Line is continuously used by insurgent, separatist and terrorist groups sponsored by either Pakistan or Afghanistan. The surge in anti – Taliban operations in Afghanistan likely provides Pakistan with a target rich environment for influencing Afghanistan’s internal political and security landscape. This is highly likely to become Pakistan’s long – term strategy, instead of a short term possibility, considering that Pakistan’s foreign influence ambitions are likely constrained by the country’s domestic security, economic and political issues. These issues are comprised of the consistent threat from the Balochistan Liberation Army separatists, different separatist movements in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Kashmir provinces and the economic repercussions from the high inflation rates, public debt issues and high energy and fuel prices. The conflict is likely to become a bilaterally managed crisis which is highly likely to become a long-lasting flashpoint of confliction between Afghanistan and Pakistan.