🇦🇫 Taliban Confirms Attacks on Pakistani Forces
The Taliban government in Afghanistan has confirmed launching a wave of attacks against Pakistani troops along the mountainous northern border, calling it “an act of retaliation” following what it described as a Pakistani airstrike inside Afghan territory.
According to Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid, 58 Pakistani soldiers were killed and 30 others wounded after Islamabad “violated Afghan airspace” and bombed a local market in the border province of Paktika.
Pakistan, however, disputed the figures, claiming 23 soldiers were killed and 200 Taliban fighters were “neutralized” in counterattacks.
⚔️ Pakistan Denies Provocation, Warns of Retaliation
Pakistan’s Interior Minister, Mohsin Naqvi, condemned the attacks as “unprovoked and unacceptable”, accusing the Taliban of firing on civilians.
“Afghanistan is playing with fire and blood,” he said, vowing that Pakistan “will respond with a stone for every brick.”
In response, Pakistan shut down its main border crossings at Torkham and Chaman, stranding hundreds of trucks loaded with goods on both sides.
💣 Exchange of Heavy Fire Across Multiple Regions
Reports from security sources and local police confirm intense gunfire and artillery shelling across multiple border regions, including Kurram, Bajaur, Dir, and Chitral.
Witnesses said the clashes started late Thursday night and lasted for hours, with heavy weapons used from both sides.
The BBC’s Afghan service reported that shops were destroyed in the Paktika market following Pakistan’s earlier air raid, a strike the Taliban says crossed all red lines of sovereignty.
🗣️ Diplomatic Fallout and Regional Reactions
The escalation comes as Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi visits India for the first time since the Taliban’s return to power. Speaking from New Delhi, he emphasized that Afghanistan seeks peace but has the right to defend its borders.
“We have no problem with Pakistan’s people, but certain groups there are spoiling relations,” Muttaqi said.
Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia and Qatar—both allies of Pakistan—have urged restraint and dialogue, warning against further escalation that could destabilize the region.
🔍 Historical Context: Deep-Rooted Suspicion
Pakistan has long accused the Afghan Taliban of sheltering the Pakistani Taliban (TTP), a militant group responsible for deadly attacks within Pakistan.
Kabul, on the other hand, insists that Islamabad’s border raids are a violation of Afghan sovereignty and that the TTP acts independently.
The conflict reflects decades of mistrust and competing narratives between the two nations that once supported each other during the Afghan war.