Afghanistan and Pakistan claim commercial casualties after border clash

Afghanistan’s Taliban government said on Sunday that its forces had killed 58 Pakistani soldiers and injured 30 others in nighttime border operations. Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid during a press conference in Kabul said that “certain elements of the Pakistani security system want to destabilize Afghanistan.”

Mujahid said the operations took place at several border posts. He added, according to a report by Afghanistan’s TOLO news agency, that the situation on the border with Pakistan was under control. “Total control and illegal activities were largely avoided.”

There was no immediate confirmation from Islamabad about the reported casualties. Pakistani state media outlets said on Sunday that the country’s military had captured 19 Afghan posts from where attacks were being launched on Saturday night. A video broadcast on Pakistani Television (PTV) showed Afghan posts on fire and Taliban soldiers allegedly surrendering in Kurram.

Radio Pakistan reported, citing security sources, that the Pakistani army also completely destroyed the Taliban’s Manojba camp battalion headquarters, Jandusar post, Turkmenzai camp and Kharchar fort.

Pakistani Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi classified attacks in Afghanistan “unprovoked” and accused Afghan forces of shooting at civilians. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif strongly condemned what he described as a “Afghanistan’s provocation in Pakistan’s border areas.” He added, “There will be no compromise in the defense of Pakistan and every provocation will be met with a strong and effective response.”

The fighting occurred days after explosions rocked the Afghan capital, Kabul, in an air attack that the Taliban blamed on Pakistan. Islamabad neither confirmed nor denied responsibility for the attack, but said it would do whatever was necessary to protect its citizens. Pakistan has seen a rise in terrorism in recent months, blamed on the illegal group Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).

In recent years, cross-border tensions between Afghanistan and Pakistan have intensified, with both sides accusing each other of harboring militants. On Friday, Islamabad accused the Afghan Taliban of harboring fighters with the support of Pakistan’s regional rival India. Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, head of Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), stated that “Indian Proxies” operated from Afghan territory to reach Pakistan.

The escalation coincided with Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi’s visit to Delhi as the two nations normalized ties. During a press conference in the Indian capital on Sunday, Muttaqi denied the presence of TTP fighters in his country.

“If Pakistan wants peace, they have a bigger army and better intelligence – why don’t they control it? This fight is within Pakistan. Instead of blaming us, they should control the issues on their territory,” he said. he stated. The official added that Kabul wants “good relations and peace” but is ready to firmly protect its interests and sovereignty.