Fifteen Pakistani soldiers were reportedly killed in clashes with Afghan forces along the Afghanistan–Pakistan border on Saturday. The fighting took place just days after the Taliban accused Pakistan of carrying out airstrikes inside Afghanistan.
According to Afghanistan’s state media, RTA, Afghan forces also captured three Pakistani military posts near the southern Helmand province during the clashes. The Taliban’s Defense Ministry said the attack was a “retaliation” for Pakistan’s earlier airstrikes and warned that Afghan forces are ready to respond strongly if Pakistan violates their borders again.
The clashes occurred along several border areas, including Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan provinces. Local Afghan media outlet TOLOnews reported that Taliban forces had taken control of several Pakistani outposts and destroyed one in Kunar and Helmand provinces. Civilians in nearby areas, such as Paktia district, were forced to flee their homes as heavy shelling continued.
Reports say that fighting broke out in multiple locations, including Angoor Adda, Bajaur, Kurram, Dir, Chitral, and Baramcha. Afghanistan’s Defence Ministry spokesperson, Enayatullah Khwarizmi, said the Taliban’s attacks were a “successful retaliation” against Pakistan’s repeated violations and airstrikes on Afghan soil.
Meanwhile, Iran, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia have called for peace and restraint from both sides. The tension comes as Afghanistan’s Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi is visiting India for a week-long trip.
Pakistan has not officially confirmed the airstrikes but has urged Afghanistan to “stop sheltering the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP)” militants within its borders, according to Pakistan’s Dawn newspaper.
A Pakistani government official told The Guardian that Taliban forces first opened fire at several border points, and Pakistan responded with artillery strikes at four locations along the border.
