UPDATE - Dozens killed in clashes between Pakistani, Afghan troops

UPDATES WITH STATEMENT FROM PAKISTAN ARMY; REVISES HEADLINE, DECK, LEDE; EDITS THROUGHOUT

By Aamir Latif

KARACHI, Pakistan (AA) - Dozens of soldiers were killed in overnight clashes between Pakistani and Afghan troops, the two sides said on Sunday.

Addressing a news conference in Kabul, Zabihullah Mujahid, Afghanistan’s interim government spokesperson, claimed nine Afghan and 58 Pakistani soldiers were killed and another 30 were injured in the clashes.

According to him, more than 20 security posts belonging to Pakistan were taken over by Afghanistan's forces.

However, the Pakistan army said that its 23 soldiers were killed, while another 29 were injured in the clash, one of the deadliest since the Taliban recaptured Afghanistan in August 2021.

In a statement, the military said that more than 200 “Taliban Forces and affiliated Khwarjis” were killed in the clashes, whereas the number of injured is "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 added.

- Middle Eastern diplomacy

Mujahid said that Afghan forces halted their operation against Pakistani military outposts across the border after mediation from Qatar and Saudi Arabia, according to Afghanistan's private broadcaster Tolo News.

The latest escalation came a day after Afghanistan’s interim Taliban administration accused the Pakistani army of violating airspace over the capital 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 Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (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 shut

The latest clashes have led to the closure of two key crossings between the neighbors.

"The northwestern Torkham and southwestern Chaman crossings have been shut since 2 am (local time) Sunday for all kinds of movement until further order 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 Chaman crossing.

Bangalzai told reporters that additional security forces contingents have been deployed on the border due to the ongoing hostilities.

Afghanistan's private broadcaster Tolo News also confirmed that the Torkham and Chaman-Spin Boldak crossings were closed after Afghan border forces launched operations last night against Pakistani posts.

Pakistan and Afghanistan share 18 border crossings, with Torkham and Chaman serving as the key trade and people's movement.

- 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 the 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.

Meanwhile, Mujahid said that the Pakistani government proposed sending a delegation to visit Kabul. However, he added, the interim government rejected the offer, citing violations of Afghanistan's airspace as the reason for their decision.