Afghanistan killed dozens of Pakistani soldiers in border operations overnight, officials said

Afghanistan He said Sunday he had killed 58 Pakistani Soldiers conducted border operations overnight, in response to what it described as repeated violations of its territory and airspace. The Pakistani army gave much lower casualty figures, saying 23 soldiers were killed.

Earlier this week, Afghan authorities accused Pakistan of bombing the capital, Kabul, and a market in the east of the country. Pakistan did not claim responsibility for the attack.

Taliban government spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said that Afghan forces took control of 25 Pakistani army positions, resulting in the injury of 30 Pakistani soldiers.

“The situation on all official borders and de facto lines in Afghanistan is under complete control and illegal activities have been largely prevented,” Mujahid said at a press conference in Kabul.

Pakistan has previously struck sites inside Afghanistan, targeting what it claims are militant hideouts, but they were in remote and mountainous areas. Skirmishes have also broken out between the two sides along the border in the past. The violent clashes that took place on Saturday night highlight the escalating tensions.

The Taliban government’s Ministry of Defense said early Sunday morning that its forces had carried out “retaliatory and successful operations” along the border.

The ministry added: “If the other side again violates Afghanistan’s territorial integrity, our armed forces are fully prepared to defend the country’s borders and will respond forcefully.”

The Torkham crossing, one of two main trade routes between the two countries, did not open on Sunday at its usual time of 8 a.m.

The Chaman crossing in southwestern Pakistan was also closed. People, including Afghan refugees who left Pakistan, have been deported due to the deteriorating security situation.

An Associated Press reporter in Chaman heard planes over Spin Boldak, a city in Afghanistan’s southern Kandahar province, and saw smoke rising after the explosion.

Regional powers call for calm

Pakistan accuses the Afghan authorities of harboring members of the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan group. Islamabad says the group is carrying out deadly attacks inside Pakistan, but Kabul denies this accusation, saying it does not allow its territory to be used against other countries.

Pakistan faces difficulties in confronting rising extremism, especially in areas bordering Afghanistan. It also accuses its nuclear-armed neighbor and rival India of supporting armed groups, without providing any evidence.

The overnight border clashes could fuel regional instability, with India and Pakistan close to war earlier this year after a tourist massacre in the disputed Kashmir region.

India has also strengthened its relations with the Taliban rulers in Afghanistan, recently announcing the upgrade of its technical mission in Kabul to a full-fledged embassy.

The Saudi Foreign Ministry called for “restraint, avoid escalation, and adopt dialogue and wisdom to help reduce escalation and maintain the security and stability of the region.” Saudi Arabia has just reached a joint defense agreement with Pakistan. It also urged Qatar to exercise restraint.

Taliban Foreign Minister Amir Khan Mottaki, who is in India on an official visit, told reporters that Afghanistan respects the calls made by the two Gulf powers to stop what he called “retaliatory strikes” against Pakistan. But he also warned that Kabul reserves the right to protect itself.

“We want a peaceful solution to the situation, but if peace efforts do not succeed, we have other options,” Mottaki said.

Pakistan condemns the attack

Before the Afghan announcement of casualties, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned the attack and said the country’s army “not only did not provide an adequate response to Afghanistan’s provocations, but also destroyed many of its positions, forcing it to retreat.”

Pakistani security officials shared videos claiming to show destroyed Afghan checkpoints, but the footage could not be independently verified because the media does not have access to these areas.

The Pakistani army said that more than 200 “Taliban and associated terrorists have been neutralized, while the number of wounded is much higher.”

According to Pakistani security officials, Afghan forces opened fire in several border areas northwest of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.

An official in Islamabad told the Associated Press that Pakistan took control of 19 Afghan border posts from which attacks were launched. He spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media.

The official added, “Taliban members in these sites were either killed or fled. Fires and obvious destruction were seen in the captured Afghan sites.”

The two countries share a 2,611 km (1,622 mi) border known as Durand lineBut Afghanistan never acknowledged this.