Pakistan carried out airstrikes on Afghanistan’s capital, Kabul, and other locations as fighting flared along the countries’ rugged border, prompting dueling claims of heavy casualties and captured outposts from Islamabad and Afghanistan’s Taliban-led government.
Pakistan Says Strikes Followed ‘Unprovoked’ Border Attacks
Pakistan’s government described the strikes and subsequent cross-border fire as a response to what it called “unprovoked” Taliban attacks on Pakistani positions. In statements posted by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Islamabad said its troops delivered an “immediate and effective response” across multiple sectors in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, naming Chitral, Khyber, Mohmand, Kurram and Bajaur, and reporting damage to Afghan posts and equipment.
Sharif Vows ‘Befitting Reply’ To Aggression
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said in posts carried on the Pakistani government’s X account that the country “stands by Pakistani armed forces” and that the military is “fully capable of thwarting any aggressive intentions.” He said Pakistan would not compromise on defending the country and would respond to any attack with a “befitting reply.”
Taliban Claims Retaliation, Seizures Along Durand Line
Afghanistan’s Taliban authorities, who lack broad international recognition, said they launched “large-scale offensive operations” against Pakistani military positions and installations along the disputed Durand Line in retaliation for Pakistani airstrikes. Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid said the Taliban began the operation “in response to repeated provocations and violations by Pakistani military circles.”
The media office of Afghanistan’s military corps in the east said “heavy clashes” began late Thursday, linking the fighting to earlier Pakistani strikes in Afghanistan’s Nangarhar and Paktia provinces. The Taliban defense ministry claimed it captured 19 Pakistani military posts and two bases Thursday night and said 55 Pakistani soldiers were killed.
Pakistan denied that Taliban forces captured or damaged any outposts. Mosharraf Zaidi, a spokesperson for Sharif, said Pakistan’s continuing response had killed 133 Taliban members and wounded more than 200, while destroying 27 Taliban posts and capturing nine.
Image via Shutterstock/ AlexandrinaZ
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