MOSCOW, February 27. /TASS/. The escalation between Pakistan and Afghanistan is the result of England's colonial policy; London's imperial ambitions must be put to an end, the Russian Security Council stated.

"This round of tension is clearly a consequence of England's harmful colonial policy and the arbitrary borders drawn by London," said the statement on the escalation between Pakistan and Afghanistan.

"Today, as the British try to create new dividing lines in the world, London's imperial ambitions must be stopped," the Security Council emphasized.

The Security Council is concerned about the situation and has called for conflicts to be settled peacefully. "We are concerned about the dangerous escalation on the Afghan-Pakistani border. We urge the parties to resolve the existing conflicts as soon as possible through political and diplomatic means," the statement pointed out.

On the evening of February 26, fighting resumed on the Pakistan-Afghanistan border. Kabul said that it was conducting a military operation in response to recent Pakistani airstrikes on Afghan territory. Islamabad reported that more than 130 Afghan soldiers were killed and about 80 pieces of military equipment were destroyed during the Pakistani armed forces' operations. On the morning of February 27, the Afghan Defense Ministry announced the end of the operation, reporting the deaths of 55 Pakistani servicemen and the capture of two bases and 19 border posts.

Earlier, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova emphasized in a statement that Moscow was concerned about the sharp escalation of armed clashes between Afghanistan and Pakistan, which involved regular army units, aircraft, and heavy weapons. The diplomat stressed that Moscow calls on its allies, Kabul and Islamabad, to abandon the dangerous confrontation and return to the negotiating table to resolve their differences through political and diplomatic means.