Kabul, October 12: In a sharp escalation of cross-border hostilities, at least 15 Pakistani soldiers were killed in retaliatory operations carried out by Afghan Taliban forces in Helmand province, officials said on Sunday.
According to Mawlawi Mohammad Qasim Riaz, spokesperson for the Helmand provincial government, Afghan forces launched overnight retaliatory strikes near the Durand Line in the Bahrampur district, resulting in heavy casualties on the Pakistani side. “During the operations, 15 Pakistani soldiers were killed, and three Pakistani military outposts were captured,” Riaz told reporters.
He added that Afghan forces seized a considerable cache of weapons and ammunition as spoils of war.
The attacks, which began late Saturday night and concluded around midnight, were reportedly carried out in response to recent Pakistani airstrikes on Kabul and Paktika provinces. Afghan forces simultaneously targeted Pakistani positions across multiple provinces — including Helmand, Kandahar, Zabul, Paktika, Paktia, Khost, Nangarhar, and Kunar — marking one of the most extensive retaliatory operations since tensions between the two sides escalated.
There has been no immediate response from Pakistan’s military regarding the reported casualties or the loss of outposts.
Observers warn that the situation could further strain already fraught relations between Islamabad and Kabul, with both sides trading accusations over cross-border attacks and militant sanctuaries.
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