In a newly released video message, Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) leader Noor Wali Mehsud has denied claims that his group is operating from Afghan territory, insisting that TTP fighters are based within Pakistan’s Khyber tribal areas.

Mehsud’s statement comes in response to recent Pakistani airstrikes on Kabul, which were reportedly aimed at targeting senior TTP figures.
Pakistan has long accused the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) of providing safe haven to TTP militants along the shared border.

“This is propaganda,” Mehsud said, dismissing Pakistan’s claims. “We are present in our own tribal regions and not on Afghan soil.” He added that allegations against the Islamic Emirate for harboring TTP operatives are “completely baseless.”

The TTP, also known as the Pakistani Taliban, is a banned militant group that has waged an insurgency against the Pakistan government for over a decade.

Following the Islamic Emirate’s return to power in Afghanistan in August 2021, Islamabad has increasingly voiced concerns over what today is cross-border militancy. Pakistani officials allege that TTP fighters have found refuge in Afghanistan and launch attacks on Pakistani security forces from across the border.

Tensions between Islamabad and Kabul have escalated in recent months, particularly after a series of deadly attacks inside Pakistan which authorities blame on the TTP. In response, Pakistan has conducted airstrikes targeting what it claims are militant hideouts in Afghanistan—actions that have drawn condemnation from the Islamic Emirate.

The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan has repeatedly denied hosting TTP members, calling on Pakistan to resolve security issues internally.

Interior Minister Sirajuddin Haqqani says the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) seeks good and stable relations based on mutual respect, especially with neighboring countries, and that insecurity in the region benefits “no one.”

According to a statement by Abdul Matin Qane, spokesperson for the Interior Ministry, Haqqani made these remarks on Thursday during a meeting with Mohammad Reza Bahrami, Director General for South Asia Affairs at Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Alireza Bigdeli, Charge d’Affaires of the Iranian Embassy in Kabul.

Haqqani said, “Just as we respect the sovereignty of others, we expect goodwill and similar respect toward us.”

The meeting also involved detailed discussions on joint efforts to combat narcotics and strengthen cooperation along the Iran-Afghanistan borders.

Both sides emphasized the importance of ensuring security and stability in the region and reducing tensions through mutual understanding.

Amid escalating tensions between Afghanistan and Pakistan, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has called on the two neighboring Muslim nations to resolve their differences through dialogue, emphasizing that, according to the teachings of the Holy Qur’an, Muslim countries are religiously and morally obligated to stand together in pursuit of peace, justice, and development.

Speaking at a gathering in Iran on Wednesday evening, Pezeshkian expressed deep concern over the ongoing conflict between what he described as two “brotherly” and closely linked Islamic countries. He said the situation has caused sorrow not only in Iran but throughout the wider region.

“Muslim countries, especially those that share common cultural and historical roots, are bound by deep and unbreakable ties of faith and heritage,” Pezeshkian stated. “According to the Qur’an, we are commanded to act as parts of one body, supporting one another in the face of challenges and striving together for justice and progress.”

He attributed the discord between Islamic nations to the influence of what he called “enemies of Islam and international Zionism,” accusing them of seeking to divide and weaken the Muslim world. “The enemies of the Islamic ummah have always worked to sow division and instability among Muslim nations,” he added.

Pezeshkian stressed that dialogue and the strengthening of fraternal ties are essential to de-escalating tensions between Afghanistan and Pakistan. “The Islamic Republic of Iran, in accordance with Qur’anic principles, will use all its capacities to ease tensions, encourage dialogue, and reinforce the bonds of brotherhood between these two neighboring and friendly countries.”

Underscoring the urgent need for peace and unity in the region, he concluded: “We are confident that the esteemed governments and peoples of Afghanistan and Pakistan will, with wisdom and foresight, choose the path of mutual understanding and dialogue — and once again embrace friendship, cooperation, and trust.”