Kabul, Afghanistan, Oct 12: In one of the deadliest border flare-ups in recent months, Afghanistan claimed on Sunday that its forces killed 58 Pakistani soldiers in overnight retaliatory operations along the border, accusing Islamabad of repeated violations of its territory and airspace.
The Taliban government said the operations were carried out in response to what it called “unprovoked aggression” from the Pakistani side. “Afghan forces have captured 25 Pakistani army posts. Fifty-eight soldiers were killed and 30 others wounded,” Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid told reporters in Kabul.
“The situation along all official and de facto borders of Afghanistan is under complete control, and illegal activities have been largely prevented,” Mujahid asserted, warning that any further violation would draw a stronger military response.
The Afghan Defense Ministry, in a separate statement, described the cross-border action as a “retaliatory and successful operation” aimed at defending Afghanistan’s sovereignty. “If the opposing side again violates Afghanistan’s territorial integrity, our armed forces are fully prepared to respond with force,” the statement said.
There has been no immediate confirmation from Pakistan regarding casualties, though Islamabad has accused Kabul of harboring militants belonging to the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP)—a charge the Taliban administration continues to deny.
Earlier this week, Afghan officials accused Pakistan of launching airstrikes in Kabul and a marketplace in eastern Afghanistan, killing several civilians. Pakistan has not commented on those allegations.
On Sunday morning, the usually busy Torkham border crossing remained closed, disrupting trade and movement between the two countries.
Meanwhile, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned the Taliban’s late-night assault, saying Pakistan’s army “gave a befitting reply” and destroyed several Afghan posts, forcing Taliban fighters to retreat.
The escalating hostilities have drawn international concern. Qatar’s Foreign Ministry urged both sides to step back from confrontation and prioritize “dialogue, diplomacy, and restraint,” warning that further violence could destabilize the wider region.
The fresh round of border clashes underscores the deepening distrust between Islamabad and Kabul — two uneasy neighbors tied by history, divided by suspicion, and now edging perilously close to a broader conflict.
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