New Delhi: Tensions have sharply escalated along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border following renewed military clashes and retaliatory strikes.
A spokesperson for the Taliban-led administration in Afghanistan, Hamdullah Fitrat, said forces of the Islamic Emirate launched retaliatory operations along the so-called Durand Line. In a post on X, he stated that the 203 Mansouri Corps and the 201 Khalid bin Walid Corps carried out offensive actions in Paktia, Paktika, Khost, Kunar, Nuristan, Nangarhar, and at the Torkham Gate.
Fitrat claimed that Afghan forces captured one headquarters and nineteen outposts. He also alleged that four outposts were abandoned and set on fire. According to his statement, up to 55 Pakistani soldiers were killed, while several others were taken into custody. He further claimed that Afghan fighters seized light and heavy weapons and destroyed one tank. Independent verification of these claims remains pending.
The statement followed reports of Pakistani airstrikes in Kabul and Kandahar on Friday. The Taliban administration described its actions as retaliation for earlier cross-border attacks.
In Islamabad, Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif posted on X that Pakistan had launched an operation named ‘Ghazab Lil Haq’. He wrote that Pakistan’s “patience has reached its limit” and described the situation as “open war.”
Pakistan has not publicly confirmed the casualty figures cited by Afghan officials. The Pakistani government has, however, acknowledged military operations along the border.
The Durand Line, which separates Afghanistan and Pakistan, has long remained a flashpoint. Both sides have traded accusations over cross-border attacks and militant activity in the past.
