Afghanistan, Pakistan say forces killed dozens in border clashes

AFP | Kabul

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Afghanistan and Pakistan said yesterday they killed dozens of each other’s troops during a night of heavy border clashes between the two countries.

Afghanistan’s Taliban forces launched attacks on Pakistani troops along their shared border late on Saturday, in what it called “retaliation for air strikes carried out by the Pakistani army on Kabul” on Thursday.

Islamabad has not directly claimed responsibility for the strikes, but has repeatedly stated the right to defend itself against surging militancy that it says is planned from Afghan soil.

The two sides have repeatedly clashed in border regions since the Taliban seized control of Afghanistan in 2021, but airspace violations deep into Afghan territory would mark a significant escalation.

Zabihullah Mujahid, the Taliban government spokesman, said yesterday that 58 Pakistani soldiers were killed and around 30 wounded in the clashes, while nine Taliban forces were killed.

The Pakistani military, meanwhile, said 23 of its soldiers and more than 200 Taliban and affiliated troops were killed. AFP was unable to independently verify the casualty figures.

Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi said on Sunday the “situation is under control”.

“Our operation last night achieved its objectives. And then our friends like Qatar and Saudi Arabia appealed that war must stop now, and the war is ceased right now,” he said during a visit to India.

An Afghan military unit described Thursday’s blasts in the capital as “air strikes”, but Mujahid instead said the incident was an “airspace violation”, adding that no damage had been found.

‘Strong’ response

Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said yesterday he “strongly condemns provocations” by Afghanistan.

“There will be no compromise on Pakistan’s defence, and every provocation will be met with a strong and effective response,” Sharif said in a statement, accusing Taliban authorities in Afghanistan of allowing their land to be used by “terrorist elements”. The Afghan military said on Saturday night that Taliban forces were engaged “in heavy clashes against Pakistani security forces in various areas”.

Several border security officials told AFP that no further clashes had been reported at major crossings on Sunday morning.

Key border crossings between the countries were closed on Sunday, officials said.

Extra troops have been sent to the major border crossing at Torkham, which sits on the frontier between Kabul and Islamabad. Pakistani officials at Torkham, who requested anonymity, told AFP there had been no casualties on their side of the border crossing and that no further clashes had been reported in the area on Sunday morning.