Dozens of soldiers were killed overnight as Afghanistan and Pakistan exchanged heavy fire along their shared border, marking one of the deadliest confrontations between the two nations in recent years.
Both sides claimed to have inflicted severe casualties in the clashes that erupted late Saturday, further straining an already fragile relationship.
Afghanistan’s Taliban-led government said the fighting was launched in response to what it described as Pakistani air strikes on Kabul and other parts of the country last Thursday. Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid stated that 58 Pakistani soldiers were killed and about 30 others injured, while nine Taliban fighters also died. “Our operation last night achieved its objectives,” Mujahid said, adding that “our friends like Qatar and Saudi Arabia appealed that the war must stop now, and the war has ceased right now.”
Pakistan’s military gave a different account, claiming that 23 of its soldiers were killed while more than 200 Taliban and affiliated militants were neutralised. Islamabad insisted its response targeted “terrorists operating from Afghan soil” who have been attacking Pakistani forces across the border. Officials reiterated Pakistan’s right to defend its sovereignty against growing militancy.
Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi, who was in India at the time of the clashes, confirmed that hostilities had ceased following diplomatic mediation. “The situation is under control,” he said, thanking Qatar and Saudi Arabia for their intervention. Muttaqi emphasised that Kabul sought stability, not confrontation, and called for dialogue to prevent further bloodshed.
Reports of explosions in Kabul earlier in the week were initially described by an Afghan military unit as “air strikes,” but Mujahid later clarified they were “airspace violations” and said no significant damage had occurred. Independent agencies, including AFP, have been unable to verify the casualty figures released by either side.
Analysts warn that the repeated border violence reflects deepening mistrust between the two neighbours. Since the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan in 2021, the border region has seen repeated clashes, with both nations accusing each other of harboring militants. Regional observers have urged restraint, warning that renewed conflict could destabilise the wider region and worsen humanitarian conditions.