UPDATES WITH MORE DETAILS, EDITS THROUGHOUT
By Aamir Latif
KARACHI, Pakistan (AA) - Dozens of soldiers were killed in overnight clashes between Pakistani and Afghan troops, the two sides confirmed on Sunday.
At a news conference in the capital Kabul, Zabihullah Mujahid, Afghanistan’s interim government spokesperson, confirmed nine Afghan soldiers were killed, while claiming 58 Pakistani soldiers were killed and another 30 were injured in the clashes.
He also claimed more than 20 security posts belonging to Pakistan were “taken over” by Afghan forces.
However, the Pakistan army said that 23 of its soldiers were killed, while another 29 were injured in the clashes, some of the deadliest since the Taliban recaptured Afghanistan in 2021.
In a statement, the military claimed that more than 200 “Taliban Forces and affiliated Khwarjis” – a term the state uses for terrorists belonging to the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) – were killed in the clashes, with the number of injured "much higher."
"As a result of these unrelenting operations, multiple Taliban locations were destroyed all along the border, 21 hostile positions on the Afghan side of the border were also briefly physically captured, and multiple terrorist training camps, used to plan and facilitate attacks against Pakistan, were rendered inoperative," it claimed.
- Middle Eastern mediation
Mujahid claimed that Afghan forces halted their operation against Pakistani military outposts across the border after mediation from Qatar and Saudi Arabia, according to private Afghan broadcaster Tolo News.
The latest escalation came a day after Afghanistan’s interim Taliban administration accused the Pakistani army of violating airspace over Kabul and bombing a market in the Margha region of the Paktika province bordering Pakistan on Thursday night.
Islamabad neither confirmed nor denied it was behind the attacks but said it will do everything to protect its citizens, as Pakistan has witnessed a surge in terrorism, which it blames on the outlawed TTP.
Pakistan claims the TTP militants are based in Afghanistan and accuses Kabul of failing to prevent terrorists belonging to the TTP, a conglomerate of several militant groups, from carrying out attacks in Pakistan.
Afghanistan, however, denies the charges, reaffirming its commitment not to allow its soil to be used for attacks on its neighbor.
- 2 key crossings closed
The latest clashes have led to the closure of two key crossings between the neighbors, said Pakistani officials.
"The northwestern Torkham and southwestern Chaman crossings have been shut since 2 am (local time) Sunday (2100GMT Saturday) for all kinds of movement until further orders due to the ongoing tense situation at the Pakistan-Afghanistan border," an official said on condition of anonymity due to restrictions on speaking to the media.
Habib Bangalzai, deputy commissioner of Chaman, confirmed the closure of the Chaman crossing.
Bangalzai told reporters that additional security forces have been deployed to the border due to the ongoing hostilities.
Tolo News also confirmed that the Torkham and Chaman-Spin Boldak crossings were closed after Afghan border forces launched operations Sunday against Pakistani posts.
Pakistan and Afghanistan share 18 border crossings, with Torkham and Chaman serving as the key gateways for the movement of both people and goods.
- Pakistan to safeguard its national interest, sovereignty
Pakistan's President Asif Ali Zardari on Sunday reaffirmed that Islamabad remains "firmly" committed to safeguarding its national interests, regional sovereignty, and security, urging Kabul to take "concrete and verifiable action against anti-Pakistan terrorist elements operating from Afghan soil."
In a statement, Zardari said that Pakistan will continue to support the educational and humanitarian needs of the Afghan people, but no compromise will ever be made on Pakistan’s national sovereignty.
Mujahid also claimed that the Pakistani government proposed sending a delegation to visit Kabul but that the interim government rejected the offer, citing violations of Afghanistan's airspace as the reason for their decision.