Description: Pakistani military officials have announced that up to 25 terrorists have been eliminated in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa region. The militants were attempting to cross into Pakistan through the Kurram and North Waziristan provinces where the military successfully neutralized them. Pakistan also stated that five members of its military forces were killed in the confrontations and once again blamed Afghanistan for failing to establish control over its side of the border. The confrontation arrives as peace talks are unfolding between the two countries in Istanbul after having previously agreed to a ceasefire. The attack coincided with the second day of the peace talks where the Afghan side has reportedly submitted a final proposal to its Pakistani counterparts for concluding the armed conflict. The details of the proposal remained undisclosed as Pakistan was expected to respond after the most recent attack. Pakistan previously warned that if Afghanistan continued to fail in eliminating terrorist groups along their mutual border, the countries would engage in an all – out war.
Impact: The armed confrontation between Afghan militants and Pakistan’s military highlights the porous state of the ceasefire and emphasizes the fragility of the peace process. Pakistan has the overwhelming capacities to regularly intercede with military action alongside the mutual border and defeat Afghanistan through the means of traditional warfare. Afghanistan’s priority should be focused on establishing control over the militant factions in the region which are continuously inciting the continuation of the conflict and serve as consistent risk towards a long-lasting peace between the two countries. The attack is unlikely to deter both countries from further negotiations, however, ongoing issues persist, such as intelligence and military cooperation, control over key checkpoints in the disputed borderline and overall mutual distrust on a political and diplomatic level between the two countries.