US Secretary of State Marco Rubio flagged Pakistan’s concerns over cross-border terrorism emanating from Afghanistan at the G20 Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Atlanta, saying Washington did not want Islamabad
to be targeted by terrorist attacks.
“Pakistan is concerned about terrorist attacks that are being sponsored from the territory of Afghanistan. They think that the Taliban has not done enough to constrain those attacks,” Marco Rubio told reporters on the sidelines of the meeting.
He added that Pakistan had taken action in response to the threat. “We don’t want them to be targeted by terrorism,” Marco Rubio said.
His remarks came amid renewed tensions along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, with Islamabad carrying out retaliatory strikes against Afghan Taliban border posts and military installations following alleged cross-border firing.
Pakistan Strikes Afghan Taliban Border Posts
Pakistan’s state-run Radio Pakistan reported on Friday that Afghan Taliban forces had opened what it described as “unprovoked” fire in the Angoor Adda area of South Waziristan on October 27. Pakistani forces retaliated, the report said.
The strikes reportedly targeted several Afghan Taliban border posts and military installations after incidents of firing in South Waziristan and the Parachinar area of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
The latest escalation comes amid Islamabad’s repeated allegations that militant groups operating from Afghan territory are carrying out attacks inside Pakistan. The Taliban government in Kabul has rejected accusations that it allows Afghan soil to be used against other countries.
Marco Rubio Says Trump Prefers Diplomatic Resolution With Iran
Separately, Marco Rubio said US President Donald Trump preferred a diplomatic solution to the standoff with Iran but remained prepared to authorise military action if necessary.
Marco Rubio said Trump had not yet decided whether to resume military operations against Tehran.
“The President prefers not to approach the situation that way. If he did, he would have done so weeks or months ago. He would prefer to resolve it diplomatically,” Marco Rubio said, responding to a question about the possibility of renewed US strikes on Iran.
He added that Washington believed it had the military capability to achieve its objectives if it chose to act.
“We have everything we need to be successful, but we would prefer to resolve this peacefully,” Marco Rubio said.
