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Last Updated:July 03, 2026, 13:10 IST
Islamabad has repeatedly accused Afghanistan of sheltering militants responsible for planning attacks inside Pakistan.
An army soldier stands guard at a deserted entry point at the Friendship Gate, following the exchanges of fire between Pakistan and Afghanistan forces. (Reuters/File)
The United States has reiterated its support for Pakistan’s right to defend itself against terrorism as tensions between Pakistan and neighbouring Afghanistan continue.
The US State Department said on Thursday that Washington “supports Pakistan’s right to defend itself against terrorist attacks."
“The Pakistani people have suffered greatly at the hands of terrorists," it added.
The latest remarks come months after Pakistan and Afghanistan, once close allies, engaged in their worst military confrontation in years in February.
According to the United Nations, at least 28 civilians were killed, and 49 others were injured in Pakistani airstrikes carried out along the Afghanistan border.
Later that week, Afghanistan’s Taliban said it had launched airstrikes inside Pakistani territory. Islamabad, meanwhile, said its forces intercepted and shot down four rudimentary drones in the resource-rich southern province of Balochistan.
Pakistan, a nuclear-armed nation, has significantly greater military capabilities than Afghanistan. However, the Afghan Taliban have extensive experience in guerrilla warfare after decades of conflict with U.S.-led forces before returning to power in 2021 following Washington’s withdrawal.
Pakistan is a major non-NATO ally of the United States, and ties between Washington and Islamabad have improved since President Donald Trump returned to the White House.
Pakistan has also served as a mediator in efforts to resolve the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran.
The United States considers the Afghan Taliban a terrorist group.
Islamabad has repeatedly accused Afghanistan of sheltering militants responsible for planning attacks inside Pakistan.
The Afghan Taliban reject the allegations, maintaining that militancy is Pakistan’s internal issue and accusing Islamabad of shifting blame for its own security failures.
(With inputs from Reuters)
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News world US Backs Pakistan's Right To Defend Itself Against Terror As Tensions With Afghanistan Rise
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