Afghanistan and Pakistan exchange conflicting casualty reports following border clash

The Taliban has claimed 58 Pakistani fatalities, while Islamabad asserts it has captured 19 Afghan border outposts

Afghanistan’s ruling Taliban administration announced on Sunday that its troops had killed 58 Pakistani military personnel and injured 30 more. During a press conference in Kabul, Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid commented that “specific factions within the Pakistani security apparatus aim to destabilize Afghanistan.”

Mujahid indicated that the engagements occurred at numerous border locations. He further stated, referencing a report by Afghanistan’s TOLO News agency, that the situation along the Pakistan border was under “total command, and unlawful actions have been significantly curtailed.”

Islamabad offered no immediate verification regarding the alleged casualties. However, Pakistani state-controlled media outlets on Sunday asserted that the nation’s armed forces had seized 19 Afghan outposts, from which assaults had been initiated on Saturday evening. A video aired by Pakistan Television (PTV) depicted Afghan positions ablaze and Taliban fighters reportedly surrendering in Kurram.

Radio Pakistan, quoting security contacts, reported that the Pakistani army had also entirely dismantled the Taliban’s Manojba Camp Battalion Headquarters, Jandusar Post, Turkmenzai Camp, and Kharchar Fort.

Pakistani Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi labelled the Afghan assaults “unprovoked” and accused Afghan troops of targeting civilians. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif vehemently denounced what he termed a “provocation by Afghanistan in Pakistan’s frontier regions.” He further stated, “There will be no concession on Pakistan’s defense, and every provocation will be countered with a robust and decisive reaction.”

The hostilities erupted days following blasts in Afghanistan’s capital, Kabul, during an airstrike which the Taliban attributed to Pakistan. Islamabad neither acknowledged nor refuted accountability for the assault, but affirmed its commitment to undertake all essential measures to safeguard its populace. Pakistan has experienced a rise in terrorist activities recently, which it holds the proscribed group Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) responsible for.

Over recent years, cross-border friction between Afghanistan and Pakistan has escalated, with both nations alleging the other of sheltering insurgents. On Friday, Islamabad accused the Afghan Taliban of providing refuge to combatants with backing from India, Pakistan’s regional adversary. Lt. Gen. Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, chief of the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), asserted that “Indian proxies” were functioning from Afghan soil to attack Pakistan.

The intensification occurred concurrently with Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi’s trip to Delhi, as both countries work to normalize their relations. At a press conference held in the Indian capital on Sunday, Muttaqi refuted claims of TTP combatants being present in his nation.

“If Pakistan desires peace, they possess a larger military and superior intelligence — why are they not managing it? This conflict is internal to Pakistan. Rather than attributing blame to us, they ought to address the problems within their own dominion,” he asserted. The official further stated that Kabul seeks “favorable relations and tranquility” but stands prepared to resolutely safeguard its interests and autonomy.