The Taliban government in Afghanistan claimed on Sunday that its forces killed 58 Pakistani soldiers and took control of 25 army posts during overnight operations along the shared border. Zabihullah Mujahid, the main spokesman for the Taliban government, said in a press conference, “The situation on all official borders and de facto lines of Afghanistan is under complete control, and illegal activities have been largely prevented.” He also confirmed that 30 more Pakistani soldiers were injured in the clashes.
Attack in response to airspace violations
The Afghan Defense Ministry said the action was a “retaliatory and successful operation” in response to what it called repeated violations of Afghanistan’s territory and airspace by Pakistan. The ministry also warned saying, “If the opposing side again violates Afghanistan’s territorial integrity, our armed forces are fully prepared to defend the nation’s borders and will deliver a strong response.”
Pakistan denies any attack on Kabul, Sharif vows ‘strong response’
Earlier in the week, Afghan authorities accused Pakistan of bombing Kabul and a market in eastern Afghanistan, but Pakistan has not accepted responsibility. Vowing strong response, Pakistan Prime Miniser Shehbaz Sharif said, "There will be no compromise on Pakistan's defence, and every provocation will be met with a strong and effective response." He further accused Taliban authorities in Afghanistan of allowing their land to be used by "terrorist elements".
The Pakistan-Afghanistan conflict
The conflict between Pakistan and Afghanistan has been going on for a long time. Tensions between the two countries are not new. Pakistan has often accused Afghanistan of giving shelter to the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), also known as the Pakistani Taliban, a militant group that follows the same ideology as the Afghan Taliban.
Pakistan blames the TTP for carrying out several deadly attacks inside its borders, which have killed both civilians and security personnel.
According to Pakistan, the Afghan Taliban supports the TTP and allows them to use Afghan soil to plan and launch these attacks. A report by the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project (ACLED), a US-based research group, says the TTP carried out over 600 attacks against Pakistani forces in 2024 alone.
