MOSCOW, February 27. /TASS/. The Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) closely monitors the developments at the Afghan-Pakistani border where armed clashes have erupted and is interested in peace and stability in the region, the CSTO Secretariat told reporters.
"The CSTO Secretariat closely monitors the developments at the border of Afghanistan and Pakistan. The organization is interested in peace and stability in the region and believes that a political and diplomatic settlement of the conflict is the only proper solution," the statement reads.
Armed clashes erupted at the Afghan-Pakistani border on the evening of February 26. Kabul announced that it was conducting a military operation in response to Pakistan’s recent airstrikes on Afghan territory. Islamabad reported that its armed forces had killed over 130 Afghan troops and destroyed about 80 pieces of military equipment. Afghanistan’s Defense Ministry reported on the morning of February 27 that its troops had concluded their operation, killing 55 Pakistani troops and seizing two bases and 19 border posts.