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 defense 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 knowAccording 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.
TTP: Bone of contention
Pakistan did not acknowledge carrying out Thursday’s attacks but urged Kabul “to stop harboring 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.
