In a major rise in border tensions, Afghanistan’s Ministry of Defense said that Taliban-led forces had taken control of several Pakistani Army posts along the Durand Line, including areas in Kunar and Helmand provinces.
At least 12 Pakistani soldiers have been killed and two others wounded in the continuing border clashes, according to sources quoted by TOLOnews. Fierce fighting is said to be taking place in the Shakij, Bibi Jani, and Salehan areas of Bahramcha district, and also in the Aryub Zazi district of Paktia province.
“Taliban forces have captured several outposts from the Pakistani Army across the Durand Line in Kunar and Helmand provinces,” an Afghan Defense official said in a statement, adding that clashes were ongoing in Shakij, Bibi Jani, and Salehan areas of Bahramcha district.
Clashes broke out between the Pakistan Army and Afghan forces following firing at multiple locations along the Pak-Afghan border in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, Dawn reported on Saturday.
The violent exchange began after Taliban forces allegedly opened fire at several Pakistani border posts late Saturday night.
“In a prompt and intense response, Pakistani forces effectively targeted several Afghan border posts,” security officials were quoted as saying by Dawn. They added that there were reports of notable damage inflicted on multiple Afghan posts and militant formations.
The firing took place at several key posts, including Angoor Adda, Bajaur, Kurram, Dir, Chitral in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and Baramcha in Balochistan, The Express Tribune reported.
Security sources said that the firing was aimed at facilitating the illegal entry of Khwarij — the state-designated term for the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) — into Pakistani territory, as reported by The Express Tribune.
“The counteroffensive effectively targeted and destroyed multiple Afghan posts at border. Dozens of Afghan soldiers and Khwarij were killed in retaliatory fire,” The Express Tribune reported, citing security sources.
Taliban border forces said that the clashes broke out after Kabul accused Islamabad of carrying out air strikes on the Afghan capital earlier this week. “In retaliation for the air strikes by Pakistani forces”, Taliban border forces in the east are “engaged in heavy clashes against Pakistani forces’ posts in various border areas”, the Afghan military said in a statement, as reported by Dawn.
Taliban officials from the provinces of Kunar, Nangarhar, Paktika, Khost, and Helmand — all located on the border between Pakistan and Afghanistan — confirmed the clashes.
Islamabad did not confirm that it was behind the attacks, but called on Kabul “to stop harbouring the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) on its soil,” Dawn reported.
(With inputs from ANI)
