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Taliban says it killed 58 Pakistani soldiers in overnight border operations
On Friday, Afghanistan accused Pakistan of violating its sovereignty for carrying out air strikes in Kabul
Afghanistan on Sunday said it killed 58 Pakistani soldiers in overnight border operations, in response to what it called repeated violations of its territory and airspace.
The country's state-run media RTA said the Afghan forces had captured three Pakistani posts across the border near the southern Helmand province, in which the Pakistani soldiers were killed.
“If the opposing side again violates Afghanistan’s territorial integrity, our armed forces are fully prepared to defend the nation’s borders and will deliver a strong response,” the Taliban government’s Defence Ministry said.
According to the Afghanistan military, the clashes along the border in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan come “in retaliation” for the air strikes.
On Friday, Afghanistan accused Pakistan of violating its sovereignty for carrying out air strikes in Kabul. "In retaliation for air strikes carried out by the Pakistani army on Kabul," Taliban forces are engaged "in heavy clashes against Pakistani security forces in various areas" along the border, the Afghan military said in a statement.
"In a prompt and intense response, Pakistani forces effectively targeted several Afghan border posts," security officials were quoted as saying by Dawn. They added that there were reports of notable damage inflicted on multiple Afghan posts and militant formations.
TOLOnews reported that the Taliban forces have captured several outposts from Pakistani forces, and one outpost each has also been destroyed across the Durand Line in Kunar and Helmand provinces. Quoting local residents, TOLOnews said that the clashes forced civilians to flee their homes in Paktia district as Pakistani forces are targeting civilian areas with heavy weaponry.
The firing took place at several key posts, including Angoor Adda, Bajaur, Kurram, Dir, Chitral in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and Baramcha in Balochistan, The Express Tribune reported.
Afghanistan's defence ministry spokesperson Enayatullah Khwarizmi said on Saturday that Taliban forces had carried out “successful retaliatory” attacks against Pakistani soldiers in response to the neighbouring country’s “repeated violations” of, and air strikes on, Afghan territory.
Iran, Qatar and Saudi Arabia have called for restraint following the escalation along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, which coincides with Afghanistan's Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi's week-long visit to India.
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Though Islamabad did not confirm that it had carried out the attacks, but called on Kabul "to stop harbouring the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) on its soil," Pakistan's Dawn newspaper reported.
The Guardian quoted a Pakistani government official saying that Taliban forces opened fire at several border points. “We retaliated with artillery at four locations along the border,” the official was quoted as saying.
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Taliban officials from the provinces of Kunar, Nangarhar, Paktika, Khost, and Helmand -- all located on the border between Pakistan and Afghanistan -- confirmed the clashes.
Meanwhile, the Interior Minister of Pakistan, Mohsin Naqvi, termed the Afghan attacks “unprovoked”.
“Firing by Afghan forces on the civilian population is a blatant violation of international laws. Pakistan’s brave forces have given a prompt and effective response that no provocation will be tolerated,” he wrote on X.
(With inputs from agencies)
