Kabul: Pakistan’s audacious border strike has backfired spectacularly, igniting a fierce Taliban retaliation that has left the region on edge.
In a swift counter-offensive, Taliban forces targeted eight Pakistani military outposts, claiming to have killed 58 soldiers before Islamabad could regroup. This dramatic escalation has thrust Afghanistan’s Defence Minister, Mullah Yaqoob Mujahid, into the global spotlight as the mastermind orchestrating the response.
At a fiery press conference in Kabul, the 35-year-old Yaqoob vowed unrelenting retaliation against Pakistan’s “deliberate provocations” on Afghan sovereignty. “We will not tolerate violations of our borders,” he declared, signalling more strikes if Islamabad persists.
The clash erupted after Pakistani airstrikes on Afghan soil last week, which Kabul alleges targeted civilians, including children.
Rising Star Of The Taliban
Mullah Yaqoob Mujahid, eldest son of Taliban founder Mullah Omar, first grabbed headlines in 2016 when appointed deputy leader. A seminary-educated cleric fluent in Pashto, he is renowned for his expertise in weaponry and guerrilla tactics. During the US-led war, Yaqoob commanded operations across 15 provinces, repelling American forces with ruthless efficiency.
Post-2021 Taliban takeover, which toppled the Ashraf Ghani government, Yaqoob ascended as Defence Minister and second deputy leader under supreme chief Hibatullah Akhundzada. Trailing only Akhundzada and Sirajuddin Haqqani in influence, he uniquely escapes UN sanctions among top commanders. Married with five children, Yaqoob holds no formal degree but embodies the Taliban’s hardline ethos.
His anti-Pakistan stance is legendary. In January 2024, his directives allegedly spurred an attack killing 12 Pakistani troops. At the UN, Yaqoob rebuffed Islamabad’s accusations of Afghan-backed terrorism, slamming Pakistan’s “failed security apparatus” for scapegoating Kabul. Under his watch, the Taliban boasts 250,000 battle-hardened fighters, fortifying a robust military network.
As tensions simmer along the Durand Line, Yaqoob’s iron-fisted leadership underscores the Taliban’s unyielding resolve – a potent reminder that old wounds between Kabul and Islamabad run deep.