Afghanistan said on Sunday that it had killed 58 Pakistani soldiers in overnight border operations, in response to what it called repeated violations of its territory and airspace.
The Taliban government’s chief spokesman, Zabihullah Mujahid, said Afghan forces had also captured 25 Pakistani army posts, leaving 30 Pakistani soldiers wounded.
Earlier in the week, Afghan authorities had accused Pakistan of bombing Kabul and a market in the country’s east. Pakistan did not claim responsibility for the assault.
Asked about the clashes between Afghanistan and Pakistan in the border areas, Afghanistan’s foreign minister Amir Khan Muttaqi, who is touring India, told reporters in New Delhi that “there are some special elements in Pakistan who are trying to muddy the waters”.
“Afghanistan will protect its sovereignty. We have given a befitting reply. We achieved our mission in the retaliatory strikes of last night,” Muttaqi said.
Muttaqi said “the people of Pakistan and the Pakistan government are mostly peace-loving people who want good relations with Afghanistan”.
“We have no issue with either the Pakistani people or the Pakistan government,” he said.
Mujahid, the Taliban government spokesperson, said: “The situation on all official borders and de facto lines of Afghanistan is under complete control, and illegal activities have beenlargely prevented.”
Pakistan’s army gave far lower casualty figures, saying 23 troops were killed in the border clashes.
Pakistan has previously struck locations inside Afghanistan, targeting what it alleges are militant hideouts, but these have been in remote and mountainous areas. The two sides have also skirmished along the border in the past. Saturday night’s heavy clashes underscore the deepening tensions.
People walk past parked vehicles with belongings of Afghan citizens, as they head back to their country, after Pakistan closed border crossings with Afghanistan, following exchanges of fire between the forces of the two countries in Chaman Reuters
The Taliban government’s defence ministry said that early on Sunday, its forces conducted “retaliatory and successful operations” along the border.
“If the opposing side again violates Afghanistan’s territorial integrity, our armed forces are fully prepared to defend the nation’s borders and will deliver a strong response,” the ministry added.
The Torkham crossing, one of two main trade routes between the two countries, did not open on Sunday at its usual time of 8am.
The crossing at Chaman, southwest Pakistan, was also closed. People, including Afghan refugees leaving Pakistan, were turned away due to the worsening security situation.
An Associated Press reporter in Chaman heard jets over Spin Boldak, a city in Afghanistan’s southern Kandahar province, and saw smoke rising after an explosion.
In India, Muttaqi said friendly countries like Qatar and Saudi Arabia had intervened and urged Afghanistan and Pakistan to stop the fighting. “We stopped the fighting. Since then, the situation has normalised. We have brought peace to Afghanistan, and we want the same for all. All disputes must be resolved through dialogue. If someone does not agree with that, Afghanistan has the capability to protect its borders,” he said.
On Pakistan’s allegation that Afghanistan is providing safe haven to the terror group Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, Muttaqi said: “There are no safe havens of the TTP in Afghanistan. Even prior to our return to Kabul, the Pakistan military carried out operations in the tribal areas and they displaced a large number of people.
“Even during that time, the US military and the US-supported government gave refuge to these refugees on Afghan soil. And, we inherited that legacy. These people who are in Afghanistan — the Pakistani nationals — they are those displaced persons from the tribal belt areas. And, any people who have the status of refugees are allowed to live in the country of asylum.”
Muttaqi said the 2,640km-long Durand Line that separates Pakistan from Afghanistan was not controlled by occupying forces, be it the Soviet Union or the US-led Nato troops. These areas cannot be controlled by force alone, he said, questioning why Pakistan was unable to control the area on its side when it has a bigger military with better resources. “This fight is inside Pakistan. Instead of blaming us, they should control the problems in their territory,” Muttaqi said.
The overnight border clashes could fuel regional instability, as India and Pakistan came close to war earlier this year after the Pahalgam terror attack on tourists.
The Saudi foreign ministry called for “restraint, avoidance of escalation and the adoption of dialogue and wisdom to help de-escalate tensions and maintain the security and stability of the region”. Saudi Arabia just reached a mutual defence pact with Pakistan. Qatar also urged restraint.
Before the Afghan claim of casualties, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned the assault and said the country’s army “not only gave a befitting reply to Afghanistan’s provocations but also destroyed several of their posts, forcing them to retreat.”
Pakistani security officials shared videos purporting 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 more than 200 “Taliban and affiliated terrorists have been neutralised, while the number of injured is much higher”.