Fierce Clashes Erupt Between Pakistani, Afghan Forces
(MENAFN) Dozens of soldiers lost their lives overnight in fierce confrontations between Pakistani and Afghan troops, with both sides confirming significant casualties on Sunday.
At a Kabul press briefing, Zabihullah Mujahid, spokesperson for Afghanistan’s interim government, reported that nine Afghan soldiers were killed. Mujahid further asserted that Afghan forces inflicted heavy losses on Pakistan, claiming, “58 Pakistani soldiers were killed and another 30 were injured” during the clashes. He added that more than 20 Pakistani security posts were “taken over” by Afghan forces.
In contrast, the Pakistan Army reported 23 fatalities and 29 injuries among its ranks, describing the incident as one of the deadliest clashes since the Taliban regained control of Afghanistan in August 2021. The military’s official statement claimed that over 200 “Taliban Forces and affiliated Khwarjis” were killed, with the number of wounded being “much higher.”
The statement detailed, “As a result of these unrelenting operations, multiple Taliban locations were destroyed all along the border, 21 hostile positions on the Afghan side of the border were also briefly physically captured and multiple terrorist training camps, used to plan and facilitate attacks against Pakistan, were rendered inoperative.”
Diplomatic Mediation Halts Fighting
Mujahid confirmed that Afghan forces ceased their offensive against Pakistani military positions following diplomatic intervention by Qatar and Saudi Arabia, according to a private broadcaster.
This latest flare-up came just a day after the Taliban-led Afghan government accused the Pakistani military of breaching Kabul’s airspace and bombing a market in Margha, Paktika province, which borders Pakistan. Islamabad has neither confirmed nor denied involvement but emphasized its commitment to protect its citizens amid a rising wave of terrorism, attributing the violence to the banned militant group Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).
Pakistan alleges that TTP militants are based in Afghanistan and blames Kabul for not stopping these groups from launching attacks across the border. Afghanistan, however, rejects these accusations, reaffirming its pledge “not to allow its soil to be used for attacks on its neighbor.”
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