ISLAMABAD — Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif issued a stark warning on Wednesday, threatening to “obliterate” Afghanistan’s ruling Taliban following the collapse of truce negotiations aimed at ending weeks of deadly cross-border clashes.

Talks held in Istanbul between Pakistan and Afghanistan concluded without a “workable solution,” Pakistan’s Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said, marking a setback to peace efforts mediated by Turkey and Qatar.

The failure of the talks followed violent confrontations along the border that left dozens dead earlier this month.

“Pakistan does not require to employ even a fraction of its full arsenal to completely obliterate the Taliban regime and push them back to the caves for hiding,” Asif said on the social media platform X.

The talks were intended to prevent further violence after a ceasefire was brokered in Doha on Oct. 19, but officials from both sides blamed each other for the breakdown in negotiations.

Islamabad accused the Afghan delegation of avoiding discussions on militant groups allegedly using Afghan territory to attack Pakistani security forces.

A Pakistani security source told Reuters that the Taliban refused to commit to restraining the Pakistani Taliban (TTP), which Pakistan says operates freely inside Afghanistan.

An Afghan source familiar with the talks said the Taliban delegation insisted they had no control over the group, which has escalated attacks in recent weeks.

The border clashes erupted after Pakistan conducted airstrikes in Kabul and other locations targeting TTP leaders.

The Taliban retaliated with attacks on Pakistani military posts along the 2,600-km frontier, which remains closed.

Despite the ceasefire, fighting has continued. Over the weekend, Pakistan’s military reported the deaths of five soldiers and 25 militants near the Afghan border.

Asif said on Saturday that while Pakistan believed Afghanistan desired peace, the failure of the Istanbul talks could mean “open war.” — Agencies