CSTO Warns Escalating Clashes Between Taliban and Pakistan Threaten Regional Security

The Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) stated that the escalation of clashes between the Taliban and Pakistani military threatens regional security and expressed hope for renewed dialogue between Kabul and Islamabad to resolve disputes.

In a statement provided to the Russian newspaper Izvestia, the CSTO said: "Any escalation of the situation undoubtedly poses a threat to security in the region." It added that the organization is closely following developments and emphasizes strengthening stability in the Eurasian space. The CSTO noted ongoing exercises by collective rapid reaction forces in Central Asia and work under a program to strengthen the Tajikistan-Afghanistan border, approved in November 2024.

Pakistani fighter jets carried out strikes on various parts of Kabul on Monday night. Taliban officials claimed the attacks targeted a drug addicts treatment center, killing at least 400 people and wounding 250, though the figures have not been independently verified.

Pakistani officials denied targeting the treatment center, stating the strikes hit ammunition depots nearby and accusing the Taliban of setting fire to the facility themselves, a claim the Taliban rejects. Sources indicated that a Taliban Ministry of Defense munitions depot in Kabul's District 8 was also targeted, with fire and smoke visible for hours afterward.

The incidents come amid border clashes between Pakistani forces and the Taliban that have entered their 21st day.