Afghanistan announced on Sunday that it had eliminated 58 Pakistani soldiers during border operations carried out overnight in response to what it deemed as recurrent violations of its territorial integrity and airspace. Earlier in the week, Afghan officials accused Pakistan of launching attacks on Kabul, the capital, and a market in the eastern part of the country. Pakistan did not acknowledge responsibility for these incidents.
Zabihullah Mujahid, the chief spokesperson for the Taliban government, stated that Afghan forces had seized 25 Pakistani army posts, resulting in the death of 58 soldiers and injuring 30 others. Mujahid emphasized during a press conference in Kabul that Afghan forces had effectively controlled the situation along official borders and de facto lines, curbing illegal activities. Pakistan had not confirmed any casualties at the time.
Past instances have seen Pakistan conducting strikes within Afghanistan, targeting alleged militant hideouts situated in remote and mountainous regions. Both countries have engaged in border skirmishes previously, but the intense clashes on Saturday night highlighted escalating tensions.
The Afghan Defense Ministry, in a statement early Sunday, reported carrying out successful retaliatory operations along the border and asserted readiness to defend the nation’s borders against any further incursions. The Torkham border crossing, a crucial trade route connecting the two nations, did not open at its usual time on Sunday.
At the same time, the Chaman crossing in southwest Pakistan was also shut down due to the deteriorating security environment, leading to the rejection of individuals, including Afghan refugees attempting to leave Pakistan. Reports from Chaman indicated the presence of jets over Spin Boldak in Afghanistan’s Kandahar province, accompanied by visible smoke following an explosion.
Regional powers urged restraint and peaceful dialogue to de-escalate tensions. Pakistan accused Afghan authorities of sheltering members of the banned group Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan, attributing deadly attacks within Pakistan to this group. Pakistan also accused India of supporting armed groups near the Afghan border without providing substantiating evidence.
The recent border clashes risk exacerbating regional instability, especially after India and Pakistan neared a conflict earlier in the year following violent incidents in Kashmir. India has strengthened ties with Afghanistan’s Taliban administration, culminating in the elevation of its technical mission in Kabul to a full embassy.
Saudi Arabia issued a call for de-escalation and dialogue to maintain regional security and stability, coinciding with the recent mutual defense agreement with Pakistan. Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned the assault, claiming that Pakistani forces responded to provocations from Afghanistan by destroying multiple posts and forcing a retreat. Pakistani security officials shared videos purportedly showing destroyed Afghan checkpoints, although independent verification was unattainable due to restricted media access to these areas.
According to Pakistani security sources, Afghan forces initiated gunfire in several northwestern border regions in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. An Islamabad official revealed that Pakistan had seized control of 19 Afghan border posts responsible for launching attacks. The official reported visible destruction and fires at these captured posts. The border between the two countries, known as the Durand Line spanning 2,611 kilometers, has never been recognized by Afghanistan.