Oman’s foreign minister has called for resolving tensions between Taliban and Pakistan through diplomacy during a phone call with Amir Khan Muttaqi, according to a statement from the Taliban-run Foreign Ministry on Wednesday.
The ministry said Badr bin Hamad Al Busaidi and Taliban foreign minister discussed the recent escalation between Pakistan and Taliban and stressed the need to address the tensions through diplomatic means.
During the conversation, Muttaqi said Taliban consider their actions to be “reciprocal defensive responses” to attacks by Pakistan, the statement said.
The two sides also discussed bilateral relations and recent regional developments.
According to the statement, both sides expressed concern about recent developments in the Middle East and condemned US and Israeli attacks on Iran, warning that the expansion of the conflict to other countries in the region would be alarming.
Oman’s Foreign Ministry has not publicly commented on the call.
The phone call comes as clashes between Pakistani forces and Taliban have continued for about two weeks along parts of the Afghanistan-Pakistan border.
The United Nations has said at least 56 civilians were killed in the fighting between Feb. 26 and March 5.
Both sides say they have inflicted heavy losses on each other, though those claims have not been independently verified.
Taliban say 327 Pakistani soldiers have been killed in the clashes, while Pakistan says more than 580 Taliban members have been killed.
