Zabihullah Mujahid, spokesperson for the Taliban government in Afghanistan, announced on Sunday that 58 Pakistani soldiers were killed during Saturday night's clash between Afghan and Pakistani forces along the border, Afghanistan's news outlet Tolo News reported.
According to Zabihullah, in these clashes, 9 members of the Taliban forces were also killed and 16 others were injured.
Meanwhile, Afghanistan’s defence minister, Mawlawi Mohammad Yaqub Mujahid, warned that Afghan forces are "fully prepared to defend" the country’s borders, a day after deadly "retaliatory" strikes on Pakistani military positions along the Durand Line .
Yaqub Mujahid said the Taliban government delivered a "resolute response" to Pakistan ’s "repeated transgressions", targeting military and militia outposts in Helmand, Kandahar, Paktika, Khost, Paktia, Zabul, Nangarhar, and Kunar provinces.
Also read: Midnight op & a warning: Pak soldiers killed in fierce border clashes with Taliban — 10 things to know
According to Afghanistan’s ministry of defence, the operations concluded by midnight. Mujahid has instructed the " Islamic Army " to remain on high alert along the Durand Line, warning that if Pakistan "repeats its previous mistakes", Kabul’s response "will be more severe than before."
Addressing a press conference, Mujahid said, as quoted by Tolo News, "Afghanistan has the right to defend its air and land borders and will not leave any attack unanswered."
Maulvi Mohammad Qasim Riaz, spokesperson for the Afghanistan's Helmand provincial government, told the media that Afghan forces carried out the operation near the Durand Line in the Bahramcha district. Afghan troops also captured three Pakistani security posts during the attack, Kabul based news outlet Hurriyat Radio reported..
Pakistan closes borders
Pakistan closed its main border crossings with Afghanistan on Sunday after overnight clashes between security forces of the two countries, news agency Reuters reported, quoting officials.
Pakistan’s two main crossings with Afghanistan — Torkham and Chaman — were shut on Sunday, along with at least three smaller routes at Kharlachi, Angoor Adda, and Ghulam Khan, local officials added.
Earlier in the week, Afghan authorities accused Pakistan of bombing the capital, Kabul, and a market in the country’s east. Pakistan did not claim responsibility for the assault.
What Pakistan claimed
The violence began when Taliban forces allegedly opened fire on several Pakistani border posts late Saturday. The firing took place at several key posts, including Angoor Adda, Bajaur, Kurram, Dir, Chitral in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and Baramcha in Balochistan, The Express Tribune reported, as cited by the news agency ANI.
Pakistan Security sources said that the firing was aimed at facilitating the illegal entry of Khwarij -- the state-designated term for the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) -- into Pakistani territory, as reported by The Express Tribune.
"The counteroffensive effectively targeted and destroyed multiple Afghan posts at border. Dozens of Afghan soldiers and Khwarij were killed in retaliatory fire," news agency ANI reported, citing Express Tribune.
Pakistani Minister of Interior Mohsin Naqvi called the Afghan attacks "unprovoked" and said that Pakistani forces were responding "with a stone for every brick". "Firing by Afghan forces on civilian population is a blatant violation of international laws. Pakistan’s brave forces have given a prompt and effective response that no provocation will be tolerated," he said in a post on X.
TTP: Bone of contention
Pakistan did not acknowledge carrying out Thursday's attacks but urged Kabul "to stop harbouring the Pakistani Taliban (TTP) on its soil."
The TTP, which has received combat training in Afghanistan and shares the Afghan Taliban’s ideology, is accused by Pakistan of killing hundreds of its soldiers since 2021.
The heightened tensions from Pakistan come as Afghanistan’s foreign minister, Amir Khan Muttaqi, is on a week-long visit to India, marking the first high-level trip from Kabul since the Taliban took power in August 2021.
According to Zabihullah, in these clashes, 9 members of the Taliban forces were also killed and 16 others were injured.
Meanwhile, Afghanistan’s defence minister, Mawlawi Mohammad Yaqub Mujahid, warned that Afghan forces are "fully prepared to defend" the country’s borders, a day after deadly "retaliatory" strikes on Pakistani military positions along the Durand Line .
Yaqub Mujahid said the Taliban government delivered a "resolute response" to Pakistan ’s "repeated transgressions", targeting military and militia outposts in Helmand, Kandahar, Paktika, Khost, Paktia, Zabul, Nangarhar, and Kunar provinces.
Also read: Midnight op & a warning: Pak soldiers killed in fierce border clashes with Taliban — 10 things to know
According to Afghanistan’s ministry of defence, the operations concluded by midnight. Mujahid has instructed the " Islamic Army " to remain on high alert along the Durand Line, warning that if Pakistan "repeats its previous mistakes", Kabul’s response "will be more severe than before."
Addressing a press conference, Mujahid said, as quoted by Tolo News, "Afghanistan has the right to defend its air and land borders and will not leave any attack unanswered."
Maulvi Mohammad Qasim Riaz, spokesperson for the Afghanistan's Helmand provincial government, told the media that Afghan forces carried out the operation near the Durand Line in the Bahramcha district. Afghan troops also captured three Pakistani security posts during the attack, Kabul based news outlet Hurriyat Radio reported..
Pakistan closes borders
Pakistan closed its main border crossings with Afghanistan on Sunday after overnight clashes between security forces of the two countries, news agency Reuters reported, quoting officials.
Pakistan’s two main crossings with Afghanistan — Torkham and Chaman — were shut on Sunday, along with at least three smaller routes at Kharlachi, Angoor Adda, and Ghulam Khan, local officials added.
Earlier in the week, Afghan authorities accused Pakistan of bombing the capital, Kabul, and a market in the country’s east. Pakistan did not claim responsibility for the assault.
What Pakistan claimed
The violence began when Taliban forces allegedly opened fire on several Pakistani border posts late Saturday. The firing took place at several key posts, including Angoor Adda, Bajaur, Kurram, Dir, Chitral in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and Baramcha in Balochistan, The Express Tribune reported, as cited by the news agency ANI.
Pakistan Security sources said that the firing was aimed at facilitating the illegal entry of Khwarij -- the state-designated term for the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) -- into Pakistani territory, as reported by The Express Tribune.
"The counteroffensive effectively targeted and destroyed multiple Afghan posts at border. Dozens of Afghan soldiers and Khwarij were killed in retaliatory fire," news agency ANI reported, citing Express Tribune.
Pakistani Minister of Interior Mohsin Naqvi called the Afghan attacks "unprovoked" and said that Pakistani forces were responding "with a stone for every brick". "Firing by Afghan forces on civilian population is a blatant violation of international laws. Pakistan’s brave forces have given a prompt and effective response that no provocation will be tolerated," he said in a post on X.
TTP: Bone of contention
Pakistan did not acknowledge carrying out Thursday's attacks but urged Kabul "to stop harbouring the Pakistani Taliban (TTP) on its soil."
The TTP, which has received combat training in Afghanistan and shares the Afghan Taliban’s ideology, is accused by Pakistan of killing hundreds of its soldiers since 2021.
The heightened tensions from Pakistan come as Afghanistan’s foreign minister, Amir Khan Muttaqi, is on a week-long visit to India, marking the first high-level trip from Kabul since the Taliban took power in August 2021.
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