ISTANBUL

Qatar discussed ways to reduce tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan on Friday amid escalating clashes between the two countries, according to statements from Qatar’s Foreign Ministry.

Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Mohammed bin Abdulaziz Al-Khulaifi held a phone call with Ishaq Dar, Pakistan's deputy prime minister and foreign minister.

Separately, al-Khlaifi held a phone call with Afghanistan's Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi.

Al-Khulaifi reaffirmed Qatar’s full support for efforts to resolve disputes through peaceful means and strengthen regional and international stability, the ministry said in two separate statements.

He discussed with both ministers ways to de-escalate tensions in a manner that enhances security and stability in the region.

The calls came hours after Pakistani Defense Minister Khawaja Asif declared an “open war” against Afghanistan’s government amid rising tensions.

Pakistani aircraft launched airstrikes overnight targeting the Afghan capital, Kabul, and the provinces of Kandahar and Paktika, in response to what Pakistan said was an earlier Afghan military attack on the border area.

Pakistan said Friday that 133 Afghans were killed and more than 200 injured in its operations. The Afghan government said 55 Pakistani soldiers were killed in retaliatory operations.

On Sunday, Pakistan targeted seven sites it described as “terrorist camps” along the Afghan border following a series of bombings inside Pakistan. Afghanistan later summoned Pakistan’s ambassador in Kabul to deliver a protest note and vowed to respond “appropriately and at the right time.”

Since the Taliban returned to power in Afghanistan in 2021, Pakistan has urged the new authorities to act against Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), which it designates as a “terrorist organization.”

Islamabad says Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan has carried out numerous attacks inside Pakistan and operates from Afghan territory, alleging that Kabul has failed to take sufficient action against the group.

The Afghan administration denies that Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan operates on its soil.

The group is active in tribal areas along the “Pashtun belt” stretching across both countries along the Durand Line, a boundary drawn during British colonial rule that effectively serves as the border between Afghanistan and Pakistan.

*Writing by Lina Altawell