Pakistan-Afghanistan, Dozens of fighters were killed in intense overnight border clashes between Pakistan and Afghanistan, marking one of the deadliest confrontations between the two neighbors since the Taliban took power in Kabul. According to Pakistan’s military, at least 23 of its soldiers were killed during the fighting, while the Taliban claimed that nine of its fighters also lost their lives. The exchange of heavy gunfire and artillery continued for several hours before subsiding early Sunday morning. Tensions between Islamabad and Kabul have been steadily rising in recent months. Pakistan has repeatedly demanded that the Taliban government act against militants who, it says, are launching attacks from Afghan territory into Pakistan. The Taliban, however, has consistently denied these allegations, insisting that no Pakistani militants are operating from its soil.Both sides issued conflicting casualty reports, each claiming to have inflicted far greater losses on the other. Pakistani officials said their forces had killed more than 200 Afghan Taliban and allied fighters, while Afghan authorities countered that 58 Pakistani soldiers had been killed. These claims could not be independently verified.
Deadly Pakistan-Afghanistan Border Clashes Leave Dozens Dead as Tensions Escalate
The deadly border violence followed a series of reported Pakistani airstrikes last week. According to Taliban officials and Pakistani security sources, Pakistan carried out strikes in Kabul and on a market area in eastern Afghanistan. Though Islamabad has not officially acknowledged the attacks, they reportedly triggered swift retaliation from Afghan troops. Late Saturday night, Afghan forces opened fire on Pakistani border posts, prompting a fierce response from Pakistan using guns and artillery. Each side later claimed to have destroyed several outposts belonging to the other. Pakistani officials even shared video footage, which they said showed Afghan border posts being hit during the counterattack. By early Sunday, most of the exchanges had subsided, though local officials in Pakistan’s Kurram region reported intermittent gunfire continuing through the morning hours. Afghan authorities said their operations concluded at midnight local time.
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Afghanistan’s Ministry of Defence said on Sunday that it had agreed to halt attacks following requests from Qatar and Saudi Arabia, both of which expressed deep concern over the escalating conflict. There is no kind of threat in any part of Afghanistan’s territory,” Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said in a statement. “The Islamic Emirate and the people of Afghanistan will defend their land and remain resolute and committed in this defence.” The recent outbreak of violence underscores the fragile relationship between the two countries, both struggling with internal instability and cross-border militant activity. The Pakistan-Afghanistan clashes serve as a stark reminder of the region’s volatility, raising fears that renewed hostilities could spiral into a broader conflict if diplomatic efforts fail. Pakistan-Afghanistan
