Islamabad/Kabul, Oct 14: Once close allies, Pakistan and the Taliban-led Afghanistan are now locked in some of the fiercest fighting seen along the Durand Line, with both sides claiming heavy casualties and accusing each other of aggression.
According to the Pakistan Army, more than 200 Taliban and affiliated militants were killed in “self-defence actions” after Taliban and Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) forces attacked Pakistani border positions.
“Multiple Taliban locations were destroyed along the border; 21 hostile positions were briefly captured, and several terrorist training camps were rendered inoperative,” the army said in a statement.
Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry termed the military operations an act of “self-defence,” alleging that the Taliban had been using border infrastructure to facilitate terrorist attacks. “Any further provocations will be met with a befitting response,” it warned.
In contrast, Afghan officials claimed that 58 Pakistani soldiers were killed in overnight “retaliatory strikes,” while Islamabad reported 23 deaths, dismissing Kabul’s figures as exaggerated and the attacks as “unprovoked.”
The escalating border tensions follow accusations from Kabul that Pakistan conducted airstrikes on Afghan territory, a charge Islamabad denies. The conflict has also disrupted the Torkham crossing, a vital trade route between the two nations.
The renewed violence along the 2,600-kilometre border — which Afghanistan has never formally recognised — has drawn international concern. Saudi Arabia and Qatar have urged both sides to show restraint and resume dialogue to safeguard regional stability. (Agencies)
