'Fight us if you have had your mother's milk': Pakistani Taliban to Asim Munir

Amid the border clashes with Afghanistan's Taliban, Pakistan has a new problem now - the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). In a video message, the TTP challenged Pakistan’s army chief and Field Marshal Asim Munir to come himself in the battle, "if he had his mother's milk", rather than sending his soldiers.

Releasing a few clips on social media, the TTP was seen with militants and weapons. The videos included the footage of an October 8 ambush in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Kurram, in which 22 Pakistani soldiers were claimed to have been killed.

In one of the shared clips, a senior TTP member was seen telling the camera and threatening Asim Munir to face them and lead the battles by himself, "if" he is a man. As per the Pakistani officials, the senior member of identified as Kazim. He is the same person; the Pakistani authorities announced a reward of 10 crore on.

Afghanistan-Pakistan border clashes

A temporary ceasefire of 48 hours was announced by Pakistan in the clashes. As per Reuters, Pakistan and the Afghan Taliban administration have agreed to a temporary ceasefire for 48 hours starting 6:00 p.m. Pakistan local time (1300 GMT) on Wednesday (Oct 15).

This came after at least 15 more civilians were killed in the Taliban ruling nation, whereas they were reported dead. While Reuters reported at least six Pakistani paramilitary soldiers were killed in a clash with militants near the Afghan border, Afghan officials told AFP news agency that 15 civilians were dead and dozens were injured in the fresh violence on the border between the two countries.

How did it all start?

It all started around 10:30 pm on Saturday (October 11) when Taliban forces attacked the Pakistan border, which later converted into multiple firing at various locations in the border area. Pakistan named Angoor Adda, Bajaur, Kurram, Dir, Bahram Chah, and Chitral as the locations where the clashes erupted. They all come under the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province except Bahram Chah in Balochistan.

The Pakistani military on Sunday condemned what it called “the cowardly action”, saying it was aimed at destabilising the border to facilitate terrorism”.

“Exercising the right of self-defence, the alert Armed Forces of Pakistan repelled the assault decisively,” Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the military’s media wing, said in a statement.

What triggered the clashes?

Afghanistan experienced two major bomb blasts on Thursday Taliban government accused Pakistan of violating Afghanistan’s “sovereign territory”.