At least 55 Pakistani soldiers were killed in cross-border fighting, according to Afghanistan’s Taliban authorities, as Pakistan launched airstrikes in Kabul and other cities in a dramatic escalation between the neighbours.
As per local media reports, Afghan forces have shot down a Pakistani aircraft that entered Afghan airspace in retaliation.
Explosions and the sound of aircraft were heard in Kabul early Friday, hours after the Taliban said its forces had captured military bases and posts along the disputed Durand Line. Pakistan disputed the figures and said it had inflicted heavy casualties on Afghan fighters.
Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid accused Pakistan of targeting areas in Kabul, Kandahar and Paktia.
“The cowardly Pakistani military has carried out airstrikes in certain areas of Kabul, Kandahar, and Paktia; fortunately, there have been no reported casualties,” Mujahid wrote on X.
AFGHAN MINISTRY DETAILS RETALIATORY OPERATION
In a detailed press release, Afghanistan’s Ministry of National Defense said the operation began at 8 pm on Thursday, corresponding to the 9th of Ramadan 1447, following what it described as a Pakistani violation of Afghan territory that killed women and children.
“A few days ago, the Pakistani military circles, with great audacity, violated Afghan territory, breached our borders, and martyred women and children here,” the statement said.
According to the ministry, Afghan forces conducted coordinated counterattacks in eastern and southeastern sectors across the Durand Line near Paktika, Paktia, Khost, Nangarhar, Kunar and Nuristan provinces.
The ministry claimed that during the four-hour battle, two Pakistani military bases and 19 posts were captured. Soldiers allegedly fled from four additional posts.
“In these retaliatory operations along the Durand Line, a total of 55 Pakistani soldiers were killed,” the statement said. It added that some bodies were transferred into Afghanistan, several soldiers were captured alive, and dozens of light and heavy weapons, ammunition and military supplies were seized. One Pakistani tank was destroyed and a large military transport vehicle was captured, according to the ministry.
The statement said fighting ceased at midnight on the orders of the Chief of General Staff after “assigned objectives were achieved.”
Afghan authorities acknowledged casualties on their side, saying eight Taliban fighters were killed and 11 others injured.
The ministry also said 13 Afghan civilians, including women and children, were injured in what it described as a missile attack on a refugee camp in Nangarhar.
The claims could not be independently verified.
PAKISTAN DISPUTES CLAIMS
Pakistan strongly rejected the Afghan figures. Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said two Pakistani soldiers had been killed and three wounded, while 36 Afghan fighters were reported dead.
In a post on X, he said Pakistan was giving a “strong and effective response” to what he described as unprovoked firing and would continue to defend its territorial integrity.
Mosharraf Ali Zaidi, spokesperson for Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, denied that any Pakistani soldiers had been captured.
The two sides reported sharply differing casualty figures, which could not be independently verified.
PAKISTAN SAYS TALIBAN OPENED ‘UNPROVOKED FIRE’
Pakistan’s Ministry of Information and Broadcasting said Afghan Taliban forces initiated unprovoked firing along multiple points of the Pakistan–Afghanistan border in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.
In a statement, the ministry said the action was being met with an “immediate and effective response” by Pakistan’s security forces.
“The Afghan Taliban regime miscalculated and opened unprovoked fire on multiple locations across the Pakistan–Afghanistan border in KP,” the statement said. “Taliban regime forces are being delivered punishment in Chitral, Khyber, Mohmand, Kurram and Bajaur sectors.”
Early reports indicated heavy casualties on the Afghan side, with multiple posts and equipment destroyed, according to the statement.
“Pakistan will take all necessary measures to ensure its territorial integrity and the safety and security of its citizens,” the ministry added.
President Asif Ali Zardari also weighed in, saying Pakistan would not compromise on its sovereignty.
“Pakistan will not compromise on peace and territorial integrity. Our armed forces’ response is comprehensive and decisive. Those who mistake our peace for weakness will face a strong response — and no one will be beyond reach,” he said.
Pakistan’s statements sharply contradict the Taliban’s claim that dozens of Pakistani soldiers were killed and bases captured. The casualty figures reported by both sides could not be independently verified.
FIGHTING SPREADS TO TORKHAM
Clashes also erupted in the Torkham border area, a key crossing point between the two countries.
Afghan authorities began evacuating a refugee camp near the crossing after several refugees were wounded, said Qureshi Badlon, head of Torkham’s Information and Public Awareness Board.
On the Pakistani side, police said residents were moving to safer areas. Some Afghan refugees waiting to cross back into Afghanistan were also relocated. Pakistan has expelled hundreds of thousands of migrants since launching a crackdown in October 2023.
Pakistani police said mortars fired from Afghanistan landed in nearby villages, though no civilian casualties were reported.
“Pakistan will take all necessary measures to ensure its territorial integrity and the safety and security of its citizens,” the Information Ministry said.
Afghanistan’s military released video footage showing vehicles moving at night and the sound of heavy gunfire. The video could not be independently verified.
LONG-RUNNING TENSIONS
The 2,611-kilometre Durand Line — a border Afghanistan has not formally recognised — has long been a flashpoint.
Tensions have remained high for months, with deadly clashes in October killing soldiers, civilians and suspected militants. A Qatari-mediated ceasefire largely held afterward, though sporadic exchanges of fire continued.
– Ends
With inputs from Associated Press
